French Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Vincent Florean applauded the effective cooperation between France and southern localities which has well progressed in a wide range of fields such as economics, education-training, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, infrastructure and high technology.

He expressed his confidence that that visits by the two countries’ leaders will help push forward bilateral ties.

In turn, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen glowingly spoke of the French Consulate General and Trade Office’s role in pooling technical resources and capital, thus dealing with challenges in socio-economic development toward the goal of building a green, modern and sustainable city.

He expressed a desire to further augment comprehensive cooperation with French localities, particularly in climate change, planning and urban lighting, education-training, high-quality workforce development, cultural exchange, and science-technology. 

Currently, France ranks 16th among 100 countries and territories investing in Ho Chi Minh City with last year’s bilateral trade reaching US$867 million.

Over recent years, Ho Chi Minh City and the French city of Lyon signed a cooperation agreement and successfully launched artistic lighting projects.

Notably, the number of French nationals living and working in Viet Nam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, has grown to close to 9,000.