The delegation from Nghe An province visits and works in France.
A delegation from Nghe An province, led by Mr. Bui Dinh Long, member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, visited and worked in France for two days, October 10th and 11th.
On the afternoon of October 10th (local time), the delegation attended the Vietnam-France Local and Business Networking Conference, chaired by the Vietnamese Embassy in France in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the provinces of Ha Nam and Kon Tum.
Attending the conference were: Mr. Dinh Toan Thang - Vietnamese Ambassador to France; Mr. Nguyen Dong Trung - Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Virginie Rouquette - General Director of the Association of French Localities (CUF); Mr. Do Hai Nam - President of the Association of Vietnamese Businesspeople in France; and representatives from 6 localities of the Republic of France participating online.
Representing Nghe An province were: Mr. Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Ms. Tran Khanh Thuc - Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs; and representatives from the Provincial People's Committee Office and the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board.
Speaking at the conference, Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang, Vietnam's Ambassador to France, expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegations from Nghe An, Ha Nam, and Kon Tum provinces to France. The Ambassador briefed the delegates on recent cooperation between Vietnam and France, particularly the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam, and emphasized the need for cooperation between localities of the two countries, suggesting areas for future collaboration.
During the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province thanked the Ambassador and the Embassy staff for taking the time to receive the delegation. He particularly appreciated the Ambassador's very effective support in connecting and meticulously arranging the delegation's activities in France, especially the organization of the Vietnam-France Local and Business Networking Conference in Paris.
The Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province introduced general information, potential, and strengths of the province to delegates attending the conference both in person and online; and also discussed the needs and opportunities for cooperation between Nghe An and French partners. In the past, Nghe An province has had some cooperation activities with France, however, the results have been limited. Therefore, on this occasion, Mr. Bui Dinh Long requested the Vietnamese Embassy in France, the Association of French Localities, and the Association of Vietnamese Businesspeople in France to support Nghe An province in its activities to connect with French businesses; and to create a bridge to introduce businesses to explore and invest in Nghe An province in high-tech fields such as semiconductors, manufacturing industry, materials production, electronic components, financial services, and banking. Areas that meet the requirements for innovation, digital economy, green economy, circular economy, knowledge economy, sharing economy, climate change adaptation economy, new energy, and renewable energy serving sustainable development…
On October 11th, the delegation held a working meeting with the French Development Agency (AFD). During the meeting, Mr. Cyrille Beller, Director of the Asia Department at the French Development Agency, expressed his pleasure in welcoming and working with the Vietnamese local delegation. He also informed the delegation about AFD's activities in Vietnam over the past 30 years, with committed capital reaching 3 billion Euros, of which 25% is unsecured government loans, 71% is government-guaranteed loans, and 4% is grants.
AFD's main activities focus on fundamental issues: adaptation to climate change, green transition, global warming, sea level rise, and saltwater intrusion. In 2024, AFD aims to commit €160 million in funding, sign agreements totaling €223 million, and disburse €100 million.
In Nghe An province, AFD is implementing the "Improving Urban Infrastructure in Hoang Mai District, Nghe An Province" project, which is part of the "Improving Urban Infrastructure to Adapt to Climate Change for 4 Coastal Provinces in North Central Vietnam" project.
Speaking at the meeting with AFD, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province thanked AFD for funding the Hoang Mai urban infrastructure improvement project, and expressed confidence that the project would bring practical benefits to the locality. In the future, Nghe An province hopes that AFD will continue to provide advice and support to the province in several areas, including sustainable tourism projects linked to climate change mitigation.
On the same day, October 11th, the delegation met with Mr. Denis Barbet, Deputy Director of the Department of Local Government and Civil Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. On behalf of the Nghe An delegation, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee briefly discussed cooperation activities between Nghe An and France, including the twinning program with Côtes d'Armor province from 1993 to 2015. Currently, the two provinces continue to implement exchange and cooperation activities in education through the Côtes d'Armor-Vietnam Friendship Association.
In the coming period, in order to promote cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities, the Director of the French Department of Local Government and Civil Society stated that they will forward information and needs of Vietnamese localities to French regions and localities, aiming to promote bilateral cooperation between the two sides, especially in the context of the high-level leaders of the two countries agreeing to upgrade the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
