Hanoi (VNA)⭕ – Vietnam has a special position in the hearts of the French people, and the French Government will continue to accompany Vietnam during the country’s development process, stated French Ambassador Olivier Brochet at a meeting with the media.

The diplomat, who presented his credentials to President Vo Van Thuong last week, said that he had toured Ho Chi Minh City and had a wonderful time in the tourist destinations of Mai Chau and Pu Luong. He expressed his honour to take office in 2023 when Vietnam and France are celebrating 50 years of bilateral diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership. Vietnam holds a unique position in the affections of the French, he said. The diplomat said that he plans to go to Hai Phong city and then return to Ho Chi Minh City for work. He will also be attending a major event in Hue later this year, he said, stressing that during his working term, he hopes to explore the Vietnamese culture. Highlighting Vietnam’s and France’s common wish to preserve their cultural identity during national development, the ambassador underlined that France strongly advocates promoting diversity rather than homogenising cultural models. His country considers culture a space for partners to convene, interact, and construct an improved world. Over time, bilateral cultural cooperation has deepened and broadened with joint efforts and sharing of technologies in organising cultural events, he noted, holding that this will mark the next phase of the cultural partnership between Vietnam and France. Ambassador Brochet took the Hue Festival and the recently concluded Photo Hanoi'23 Biennale in Hanoi as two examples, which are successful events that have attracted public attention. The Hue Festival was originally a joint programme between France and Vietnam. At present, Thua Thien-Hue province is actively leading the organisation of this event. Meanwhile, the French Institute aims to provide technical expertise to Photo Hanoi. The idea is to ensure that it goes beyond bilateral cooperation and becomes an international event promoting the partnership with international partners, including the French Institute. Highlighting the special friendship and the expanded cooperation between the two countries, the diplomat noted that currently, France is the second largest investor in Vietnam within the European Union (EU), helping create 50,000 jobs for the local workforce. Meanwhile, the French Development Agency (AFD) has allocated about 2 billion EUR (2.11 billion USD) to Vietnam in various sectors. In addition, the French Institute in Vietnam has organised various cultural and educational activities for students. Regarding priorities in his working term, the diplomat said that he will focus on four major priorities to strengthen the special friendship and to support Vietnam's development. The first is to help Vietnam respond to global challenges, especially climate change, and achieve the net-zero emission goal by 2050. The second is to support Vietnam's economic growth and ensure compliance with social, legal, and environmental regulations, along with making full use of cooperation frameworks such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The third priority is to strengthen cooperation among businesses of the two countries and facilitate the introduction of high-quality French products to the Vietnamese market. The last one is to strengthen cooperation between the two nations on the global arena to uphold and promote the shared values including respect for international law and the protection of national sovereignty, stated the new ambassador./.