French Ambassador Jean Noel Poirier addresses a press conference on March 19. (Source: Dantri)

French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean Noel Poirier promised to do his best to bring France closer to Vietnam. At a recent press conference in Hanoi to launch activities to mark the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and France, the French Ambassador said the French Year in Vietnam will feature about 100 events including culture, arts, architecture, fashion, economics, science and education exchanges. These activities are aimed at introducing today's France to Vietnamese people. “Vietnam and France will hold several activities during the French Year in Vietnam in 2013 and the Vietnamese Year in France in 2014 to mark the 40^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. These events are aimed at introducing the two countries’ potential, taking advantage of which will further bilateral cooperation in the near future”, said the French Ambassador.

Over the past 40 years, bilateral economic and trade cooperation has not matched the two countries’ expectations despite many achievements. The two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and France is lower than between France and other Southeast Asian countries. Consequently, economics and trade exchanges will be the highlight of the French Year in Vietnam. A French business delegation will attend the France-Vietnam Business Forum to be held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 8. Trade Councilor of the French Embassy in Vietnam Tardieu Smith says that the delegation will participate in trade promotion and exchange activities. This will be one of the 3 largest business delegations to visit Vietnam led by Minister of Trade Nicole Bricq. Ms Smith says that the visit shows France’s interest in the potential of the Vietnamese market. “2012 and 2013 have been difficult periods for the world’s economy. However, since last year, French businesses’ confidence in the Vietnamese market has improved. France is one of the major investors in Vietnam. Last year, the French trade exchange fund with Vietnam increased 29%. We hope to improve our economic ties with Vietnam and we have a strong determination this year”, said Ms. Smith.

There are about 300 French enterprises operating in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnam’s exports to France increased. Smith says France and the EU are expecting to import more from Vietnam. The France-Vietnam Business Forum in Ho Chi Minh city will raise the curtain on the French Year in Vietnam. More than 1,000 meetings between the two countries’ businesses will be held in cities and provinces throughout Vietnam. Ms Smith says:  “The Vietnamese economy is growing rapidly in several fields including the food industry and consumption, which is very important to France, so we see a lot of opportunities to boost cooperation with Vietnam. I want to emphasize that cooperation between France and Vietnam is part of a long-term vision so, immediate economic difficulties are not the obstacles. French businesses want to join Vietnamese partners in developing long-term business relations”.

A high-level economic dialogue between Vietnam and France will be held to realize the two countries’ cooperation programs on trade and investment. This year, the two countries plan to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership creating a new framework to enhance development cooperation. Since France helped Vietnam break economic sanctions in the early 1990s, and then supported Vietnam in its international integration, the bilateral relationship has developed rapidly becoming a model for relations between a world power and a developing country. Activities to mark the 40^th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties will create a chance for both countries to recall the history of their relations and look toward new cooperation prospects.