Speaking at the event, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, Chairwoman of the Viet Nam – France Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City, said bilateral ties have grown steadily deeper, broader and more effective despite historical changes, living up to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
She noted that cooperation between their localities has become a distinctive feature of Viet Nam – France relations since the early 1990s. Hundreds of joint projects have since been implemented in urban planning, environmental protection, smart city building, health care, education, culture, human resources development, digital transformation and sustainable development.
Ho Chi Minh City has maintained productive partnerships with the Brest Metropolitan Area and the city of Lyon, particularly in urban planning, heritage preservation and urban lighting, while cooperation in education and training has also delivered positive results, she added.
Dung expressed her hope that the French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will continue working closely with the friendship association to expand meaningful people-to-people exchange programmes, thereby further strengthening ties between the two countries.
French Consul General Etienne Ranaivoson described the 2024 upgrade of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as a testament to the trust, credibility and durability of Viet Nam – France cooperation. Amid growing global uncertainties, he said, the partnership stands out as one of the rare bright examples in international relations.
He also praised Viet Nam's dynamic development, particularly that of Ho Chi Minh City, where most French businesses operating in Viet Nam are based and where the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry has its headquarters.
The French Consulate General, he said, will continue serving as a bridge to promote cooperation, especially in culture, education, finance and technology.
On the occasion, HUFO and IDECAF inaugurated the Viet Nam – France Art Exchange 2026 cultural space, featuring paintings by six Vietnamese and French artists that showcase artistic connection and synergy between the two countries.
