HCM City, as Vietnam’s vibrant economic and cultural hub, has played a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between the two countries. French businesses, as well as educational, health care, heritage conservation, and urban development organisations have maintained an active and visible presence in the city.
At the gathering in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the Bastille Day of France. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) organised a gathering on July 11 to mark the Bastille Day of France (July 14, 1789 - 2025), demonstrating the enduring friendship between the local people and the European country.
President of the Vietnam - France Friendship Association's HCM City chapter (VFFA HCM City) Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung stressed that the meeting not only commemorated the French Revolution but also reflected on the robust development in the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
She recalled the official visit to France by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam in October last year, during which the Party chief and French President Emmanuel Macron concurred to upgrade the bilateral ties from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This elevation was reinforced by President Macron’s visit in May, with various agreements signed across such domains as railway infrastructure development, digital technology, energy and environment, defence – security, and culture – education.
HCM City, as Vietnam’s vibrant economic and cultural hub, has played a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between the two countries, Dung said, adding French businesses, as well as educational, health care, heritage conservation, and urban development organisations, have maintained an active and visible presence in the city.
Following its mergence with Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces, the city now possesses greater socio-economic potential, creating opportunities for the VFFA HCM City to expand its outreach. With new cultural diversity and resources, the association will broaden its impact, contributing to strengthening the Vietnam-France friendship relations, she said.
French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, for her part, noted that the bilateral relations have reached a new high within just one year, underscoring that the Vietnam-France cooperation goes beyond politics to include economy, culture, and education.
🦋 She held that Ho Chi Minh City is home to a thriving French community of nearly 6,000, many of whom are proactively contributing to the host nation’s economic development. Furthermore, the support of the local residents who speak French or appreciate French culture has served as a powerful inspiration for activities to consolidate and develop the relationship between the people of both countries.
At the exhibition featuring works from the 2025 Francophone painting contest. (Photo: VNA)
On the occasion, the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) held an exhibition and charity art auction, with selected works from the 2025 Francophone painting contest. All proceeds from the auction will go towards supporting disadvantaged child patients at the city Children’s Hospital 2./.
The two sides spoke highly of the continuously strengthened Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly through recent high-level delegation exchanges. They pledged to further foster parliamentary cooperation, highlighting the active contributions of the two countries’ friendship parliamentary groups to fostering the bilateral relations.
PM Pham Minh Chinh suggested the CPV and the PCF continue to strengthen cooperation, maintain delegation exchanges, share information and experiences in the Party building, and educate the younger generations about the friendship between the two countries, their people, and the two Parties
At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), both diplomats expressed their satisfaction with the positive outcomes of French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Vietnam in late May, marking another milestone in the relationship between the two countries.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Thirty years ago, on July 28, 1995, Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN marked a historic strategic decision, opening a new chapter in the country’s integration process and beginning its strong rise.
Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang has outlined specific priorities and proposals for cooperation with the UNODA in preparation for the upcoming 11th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
The Vietnamese Party leader's visit is therefore expected to mark a new stage in the development of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, with a focus on such areas as digital transformation, supply chains, semiconductors, clean energy, and maritime security, Choe assessed.
At their meeting, which took place in the Angolan capital of Luanda on August 7 as part of State President Luong Cuong’s ongoing state visit to the African nation, the two officials also agreed to make full use of existing cooperation mechanisms, particularly the Vietnam – Angola Intergovernmental Committee, and step up exchanges of delegations at all levels.
President Luong Cuong's talks with his Angolan counterrpart João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Vietnamese leader's receptions for a delegation from the Japan – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance, and the Government's regular meeting for July are among news highlights on August 7 evening.
