French President François Hollande met the Ho Chi Minh City party secretary and chairman during his visit to Vietnam on September 7.
HCM City Party Secretary Dinh La Thang received French President François Hollande on September 7
The president held talks with HCM City chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong and the city party secretary Dinh La Thang. He praised Vietnam and HCM City’s rapid development. He hoped the authorities would create favourable conditions for French investors and Vietnamese-French fashion designers.
According to Thang, co-operation between Vietnamese and French localities is a special tie between the two countries. HCM City also valued the co-operation with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Lyon City.
In the near future, HCM City will tighten links at the forthcoming 10th conference between Vietnamese and French localities in Can Tho City. Economic co-operation is a priority and the city promised to create more favourable conditions for investors.
"We’re willing to work together for better solutions to trade, investment and easier market access. We hope France will soon sign and implement EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement," Thang said.
He went on to say the Vietnam was appreciated that France had given priority to co-operation with Vietnam and HCM City in recent years. He hoped France would maintain the ODA and focus on the infrastructure and environmental projects.
He expressed high regard for France's role in hosting the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference. "The approval of the Paris Agreement is an important step to deal with climate change. We hope France will support Vietnam's climate change mitigation efforts and green growth development," he said.
On the front of educational co-operation, Thang highlighted engineer training programmes, the quality of graduates and French scholarships to Vietnam's students.
Thang also highlighted French cultural activities in HCM City, saying that the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France and nearby areas have become a popular destination for the Francophone community.
During the visit, Hollande also went to the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute which is led by both French and Vietnamese doctors. The Institute was founded in 1992 by Prof. Alain Carpentier and Dr. Duong Quang Trung with aims to provide high-quality care to Vietnamese Cardiac patients, particularly children.
