Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam is always an active member of the Francophone community with commitments to supporting multilateralism, sustainable development goals, climate change response and practical activities contributing to the Francophone community, said Edgar Doerig, Chief Representative of the Asia-Pacific Office of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

The Asia-Pacific forum for young Francophones took place in Hanoi last month with the theme "Employment, creativity and innovation - the focus of Francophone in Asia-Pacific". The event saw the participation of dozens of delegates from OIF member countries and territories, including Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Nouvelle-Caledonia, Polynesia and Wallis-et-Futuna region (France), he said in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) ahead the attendance of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam at the 19th Francophonie Summit to be held in France from October 4-5.

The top Vietnamese leader will lead a delegation to attend the 19th Francophonie Summit where he will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of FrancoTech, a Francophone economic forum and innovation exhibition with the participation of major Vietnamese corporations such as FPT, Vinfast and Vietnam Airlines.

On the sidelines of the event, Vietnam will organise a space to introduce Vietnamese culture at the Francophone village.

Regarding this summit's theme on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in French language, Doerig said it is in line with the general orientation of the dynamic Francophone community which
brings opportunities, encourages creativity, innovation and offers employment opportunities for young people through entrepreneurship.

The summit will focus on issues that determine the future of young people in the Francophone community, he said, adding that the community need to find solutions in the context that the community's population increases from 321 million to 715 million between now and 2050.

It will leave a huge impact on the teaching and learning of French and learning in French, he said.

In addition, while some parts of the world are at risk of division, the Francophone community remains a unique dialogue bloc, present on all five continents, sharing a language and many common interests. Under the leadership of the OIF Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo and the leaders of the countries, the OIF is growing stronger and more influential.

On the other hand, French-speaking countries are increasing trade and expanding foreign relations. One of the priority orientations of the Francophone Economic Strategy for the 2020-2025 period is to promote trade and investment in the Francophonie community through sustainable employment opportunities for young people and women, bringing revenue to the countries, Doerig noted.

According to statistics from the Economic Francophonie Observatory (OFE), French is the third most used language in business, and the Francophone region accounts for 14% of the world's energy and mining reserves, 17% of the gross domestic product and 20% of the world's trade market, creating many opportunities by promoting creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Francophone summit is an opportunity for member countries and governments to connect with new partners, discuss on decisive topics for people, especially young people and women. At the coming summit, along with the delegations, there will be young people from 88 member countries and governments of the OIF participating in dialogues and exchanges to find solutions for the Francophone community.

To promote the OIF’s activities in the Asia-Pacific region effectively, Doerig said that the year 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the Regional Representative of the OIF for Asia-Pacific (REPAP).

Its new programme for 2024-2027 period covers three key strategies and 20 projects, including those relating directly to the Asia-Pacific region.

Doerig said that since the beginning of this year, many activities have been implemented and generated positive results.

For examples, in Ho Chi Minh City, the CREFAP has continued to support the teaching and learning of French and in French to improve the linguistic and professional skills of teachers in French, and to compile textbooks for sixth and ninth graders. In addition, 10,600 young people who know French have participated in cultural and sports activities organised by the CREFAP, contributing significantly to the dynamism of the French-speaking environment.

In the cultural field, two film events, the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Hanoi and the Francophone Film Festival in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have become annual events introducing Francophone culture and promoting Francophone cinema talents in Vietnam.

ꦉ The "Young Francophone Reporters” competition this year organised by Le Courrier du Vietnam of the Vietnam News Agency and OIF, in collaboration with Francophone partners, will be also themed "Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in French"./.