Vietnam – France: Half a century of cultivating friendship

Amid many complicated and unpredictable developments in the world situation, deepening the Vietnam-France relations is an objective and inevitable requirement, and an objective and inevitable requirement, for the benefit of the two peoples.

Looking back on the half-century journey of cultivating friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the two continents, French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery said, the close relationship between Vietnam and France is the result of joint efforts to work, maintain and connect in all fields and at all levels, between the two sides, from central and local agencies, universities and hospitals, etc., to businesses and people. To stress this closeness, the two countries chose the slogan of “Sharing Culture” for the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

French cultural imprints are still boldly present in the lives of Vietnamese people and vice versa. Today, the French architectural works in Hanoi are always considered the quintessence of the city, creating highlights in urban architecture and contributing to the unique face of the capital city, which is ancient but also modern. Meanwhile, in the French capacity city of Paris, where many Vietnamese people gather, art performances performed by French-Vietnamese artists, folk games and traditional Vietnamese dishes, have gradually become an indispensable part of cultural and culinary exchanges in France. The exhibitions such as “The Heritage Space of Thang Long Imperial Citadel”, in the ancient town of Provins, the trip entitled “Following Uncle Ho’s footsteps”, in the port cities of Le Havre and Sainte-Adresse, and the photo exhibition “Vietnam and the environment”, in the suburbs of Paris, have contributed to spreading the beauty of Vietnamese culture to French friends.

Cultural diplomacy is one of the three pillars of Vietnam's comprehensive diplomacy, along with political and economic diplomacy. France is a "bright spot" in cultural diplomacy that Vietnam has promoted in recent years. According to Vietnam News Agency, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang shared, that the success of cultural diplomacy in France, partly comes from the active participation of the Vietnamese community in France, in building a bridge to spread Vietnamese culture to French friends, as well as the French people’s appreciation and respect for all cultures around the world. With love, pride and attachment to their homeland, Vietnamese expatriates in France have organised many meaningful activities, including opening classes to teach Vietnamese, traditional martial arts and music, for generations of overseas Vietnamese, as well as screened documentaries on Vietnamese music.

During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirit of sharing between Vietnamese and French people shined even more. That spirit was evidenced by the medical mask aid campaigns, that Vietnam gave to France in 2020 and then France's COVID-19 vaccine aid packages to Vietnam, through bilateral cooperation channels and the COVAX mechanism, during the 2021-2022 period. Regarding education-training cooperation, the French Government has granted 80 scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in France annually. The number of Vietnamese students studying in France has increased by about 40% over the past 10 years and is currently 10,000.

The journey of the past 50 years shows a long history in the Vietnam-France relationship, which was built on a solid foundation of connection, cultural exchange and the spirit of sharing and solidarity between the two nations. The potential for cooperation between Vietnam and France is still very large, requiring the two countries to continue their smooth and effective coordination on all cooperation channels.