A Vietnamese minister has affirmed that high-level leaders from Vietnam always look forward to establishing a strategic cooperation with France .

Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh delivered the idea to French Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Alain Juppe during their talks in Paris on May 4.

The French leader welcomed and signaled determination to realise the idea.

Both discussed the enhancement of multi-faceted cooperation, especially in culture and foreign affairs.

Minister Juppe said he supported Vietnam ’s initiative to hold the Year of Vietnamese Culture in France and the Year of French Culture in Vietnam as part of celebrations of the two countries’40 th diplomatic ties anniversary.

They also spoke ways to early put two Vietnam Culture Centres in France into operation.

Minister Anh asked the French side to support Vietnam ’s efforts to seek UNESCO’s cultural heritage recognition for the Ho Dynasty’s citadel.

Minister Anh arrived in Paris on May 4 to start his four-day working visit to France .

Later the same day, he met with French State Secretary for Tourism Frederic Lefebre, discussing the implementation the protocol on tourism cooperation signed in 2005.

The Vietnamese minister sought the French side’s sharing of experience in tourism management, planning, development and promotion as well as human resources development.

He suggested France create favourable conditions for its businessmen to invest in tourism and establish partnerships in Vietnam and facilitate Vietnamese travel companies’ participation in France-hosted tourism events.

The French official delivered his government’s resolve to boost region-to-region cooperation with Vietnam and pledged help to promotion activities and human resource training in tourism.

At present, France is among 10 countries having the largest number of tourists to Vietnam .

It ranks seventh among foreign investors with tourism projects in Vietnam with 14 projects valued at 188 million USD, mainly in the hotel industry./.