French President: 'If Vietnam wants to develop, it cannot stop at rice'

Emphasizing the role of education and training, French President Francois Hollande affirmed that countries find their position based on their own people and human resources.

This morning, September 6, within the framework of his official visit to Vietnam, President of the French Republic Francois Hollande delivered an important speech on the topic: "The common future of France and Vietnam" at Hanoi National University.

French President visits Vietnam, French President arrives in Vietnam, Fancois Hollande

Mr. Hollande affirmed that the relationship between the two countries has a historical background, but now we must think about the future.

According to him, Vietnam, France as well as the whole world are facing two challenges: maintaining peace and stability and economic problems.

The French President recalled the terrorist attacks in France in recent years and affirmed that fighting terrorism is not the job of one country but a global one.

"To fight terrorism, countries must unite together."

The French President also expressed his admiration for Vietnam's economic achievements in recent years. "In the past, Vietnam had to worry about having enough to eat, but now Vietnam is one of the largest rice exporting countries in the world," he said. "However, if we want to develop, we cannot stop at rice."

President Hollande affirmed that France always accompanies and supports Vietnam in developing other industries such as advanced technology industries.

He said that Vietnam is currently facing many problems such as the consequences of climate change in the Mekong Delta.

"How to compete with nature, so that this land can grow more crops to serve the people's lives. We will work with Vietnam to solve these problems" - the French President affirmed.

To solve this problem, one of the important tasks is to cooperate in education and training between the two sides. "Many countries find their position through the human factor, human resources," Mr. Hollande said.

In the cooperation program between the two sides, thousands of Vietnamese students have gone to France to study and vice versa.

These students, after graduation, can participate in projects between the two sides. The French President also hopes that more and more Vietnamese students will come to France to study through promoting links between universities of the two countries.

The French President also said that he will open a French Cultural Center in Ho Chi Minh City to further expand the relationship between the two countries in the cultural field.

"Many great French researchers of Vietnamese origin were very happy when I officially visited Vietnam. They live in France but still look back and want to contribute to their homeland," the French President added.

Mr. Hollande's visit to Vietnam is the first visit by a French president in 12 years since President Jacques Chirac's visit in 2004 and is an opportunity for French President Hollande to present new orientations in the cooperative relationship between the two countries in the 21st century.

The visit and speech at Hanoi National University is the first time a French head of state has visited a Vietnamese university.

According to Vietnamnet.vn