Leaders of Vietnamese and French localities sign cooperation agreements.

Nicolas Wit, Deputy Chairman of the United Cities of France, said: “Topics for discussion at the conference were diverse. Participants, who are all representatives of localities, associations, organizations, and networks, agreed that Vietnam is pursuing an economic development model in a social democracy style and is undergoing a rapid urbanization.”

The United Cities of France specializes in linking localities between countries and summarizing the conference’s reports.

Participants insisted that cooperation between localities in Vietnam and France, especially between Hanoi and Toulouse, should be further developed.

Vice Mayor of Toulouse Jean-Claude Dardelet said: “Hanoi and Toulouse are the locomotives. Like Hanoi, Toulouse’s success is to develop a key triangle involving education with high quality universities and institutes; researches into new technologies, the medical sector, and the food industry; and key industries.”

At the conference, Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung invited French investors to come to Hanoi to look for investment opportunities. Hanoi will host the France-Vietnam Decentralized Cooperation Conference in 2022.

Following the 2-day conference in Toulouse, cooperation agreements between Hanoi and Toulouse and between the northern province of Yen Bai and Val de Marne were signed.