A business forum to be joined by French and Vietnamese businesses, France-Vietnam Business Forum 2013, will be launched over April 7-11 in Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event, which will kick-start some 40 economic activities during 2013, is the highlight of a series of activities held to celebrate the 2013-2014 Vietnam-France Year, said Fabrice Mauries, Consul-General of the Republic of France in HCMC.

There will be 126 French businesses in many areas, including high-tech, food processing, software, construction, cosmetics, healthcare and fast-moving consumer goods coming to Vietnam to attend the event and meet with more than 500 Vietnamese companies to explore investment opportunities.

This is the largest French business delegation to Vietnam for years.

In addition to HCMC, there will be thousands of meetings between businesses of the two countries during the event in Hanoi and other provinces, said Marc Cagnard, director of French trade promotion office in Vietnam (UBIFRANCE Vietnam).

The event is an emphasis of France’s redirection in economic policies towards Asia and Vietnam as the new markets for French products.

There are some 300 French businesses investing in Vietnam, of which 85 are operating in high-tech sectors.

France is the second biggest European investor in Vietnam after the Netherlands with over $3 billion disbursed in the country by the end of 2012, followed by the UK and Germany with $2 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively.

Regarding the future trend in French investment in Vietnam’s public sector, France is the second largest financier for public works, mostly infrastructures and education in Vietnam, after Japan, said Pierre-Jean Malgouyres, president of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV).

The 2013-2014 Vietnam-France Year will officially begin in Hanoi in April to mark the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The France Year in Vietnam 2013, which is expected to see the participation of French Minister of Foreign Trade Nicole Bricq, will include a series of events relating to culture, economy, science and education.