(VOVWORLD) - French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary said that economic cooperation is an important facet of French-Vietnamese relations.
 French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary |
He told reporters during the French National Day July 14 celebration, that 2018 marks the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties and 5 years of strategic partnership. He said leaders of both countries wanted to organize many events to mark the milestone.
Mr. Lortholary stressed the importance of economic cooperation with 300 French businesses currently operating in Vietnam. When the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement officially comes in to effect, Vietnam’s trade ties with the EU and France in particular will increase sizably.
The Ambassador said France has given priority to teaching French at Vietnam’s educational institutions. Around 7,000 Vietnamese students are studying in France, however, Mr. Lortholary expects more Vietnamese students will come to study and vice versa. The Ambassador said decentralized cooperation is a major pillar in bilateral ties. Approximately 30 French and Vietnamese organizations have established partnership. A Vietnam-France Decentralized Cooperation Conference will be held in Toulouse in 2019.