The celebration takes place at the Paris City Hall on February 3 (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) – About 1,000 Vietnamese people in France and international friends shared the joy of the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) festival at a celebration held by the Vietnamese Embassy at the Paris City Hall on February 3.
At the ceremony, coinciding with the 90th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Ambassador Nguyen Thiep recalled the national salvation journey by Nguyen Ai Quoc, one of the names used by President Ho Chi Minh in his early revolutionary career, including the period from 1917 to 1923 in France.
Under the CPV’s leadership, Vietnam became an independent nation in 1945, 15 years after the founding of the party, and since the country’s reunification in 1975, the CPV has successfully led the reform process to develop the nation, the diplomat stressed.
Ambassador Thiep highlighted Vietnam’s economic achievements in 2019, adding that last year, Vietnam and France continued exchanging high-level delegations, including a visit to the European nation by National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. They also made considerable strides in decentralised cooperation since the 11th conference in Toulouse.
2019 was also a special year for the Vietnamese community in France as seen through important events, including the centenary of the patriotic movement of Vietnamese expatriates and the Association of Vietnamese people in France – the oldest organisation of overseas Vietnamese people, according to him.
On this occasion, the diplomat announced that the Vietnamese Government appointed Nguyen Cong Tuoi Maurice as the country’s Honorary Consul in Marseille, a port city in southern France.
Thiep noted in 2020, Vietnam concurrently holds the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, which are challenges but also opportunities for Vietnam to raise its stature in the global arena and enhance ties with France within the framework of regional and international organisations.
At the ceremony, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner that has cooperated effectively with France in various fields.
The Vietnamese community has also contributed much to the development of France in general and Paris in particular, she said, noting that Vietnam’s cultural values have helped with the cultural diversity of her city.
The mayor also wished Vietnamese people in France more successes in the New Year to join hands in building a better future./.
VNA
