French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser expressed her hope that France would welcome more Vietnamese investors in the future, as part of the all-round exchange and cooperation between the two countries.

Consul General Pavillon-Grosser was speaking at a ceremony conducted at the French Palace in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday evening to celebrate the French National Day (July 14).

The event was attended by deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration Vo Van Hoan, members of the Consulate General in the city, and leaders of French and Vietnamese businesses.

Addressing the ceremony, Pavillon-Grosser said that France will continue promoting exchange and cooperation activities with Vietnam in all fields, especially economics and trade.

The two-way trade between the two countries has so far amounted to €7.6 billion (US$8.2 billion), and France is currently the second largest European Union (EU) investor in Vietnam.

France hopes to welcome more Vietnamese investors into France in the coming time, as part of the bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the consul general said.

Pavillon-Grosser pointed out that education, scientific research and culture have also become areas of priority for cooperation between the two countries, in addition to economics and trade.

Presently, nearly 6,000 Vietnamese students are studying in France, and 100 of them have received scholarships from the French government, an unprecedented number so far, said the diplomat. 

This year, Vietnam continues holding the third position in the number of international students receiving French university scholarships, she added. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice-Chairman Hoan commented that the annual French National Day has become a Vietnam-France friendship day, offering opportunities for the people of the two countries to honor the unique interference between the two cultures.

Last year, the two nations celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership, he said.

France is Vietnam's fourth largest export market in the EU, with the bilateral trade amounted to $4.8 billion last year, of which $3.17 billion was the value of the Southeast Asian nation’s exports to France.

In addition, France is the leading official development assistance (ODA) donor in Europe for Vietnam, which ranks second among the countries receiving French ODA in Asia.

Based on the good bilateral relationship, Ho Chi Minh City is always one of the localities actively promoting comprehensive cooperative relations with France, with two-way trade between the metropolis and the European country reaching $750 million in 2023, stated Hoan.

Being home to 40 representative offices of French businesses, the city highly appreciates the interest of French investors in key projects such as metro lines and those that help renovate and embellish the Saigon Port and the riverbank, Hoan told the ceremony.

Realizing that the potential for cooperation with France is still huge, the municipal administration hopes the city will attract more French investors and further promote cooperation in the fields of education, sustainable urban planning, smart city construction, heritage preservation, energy infrastructure development, seaports, green economy and digital economy.

With the most dynamic economy in the southern region, along with its young population and growing middle class, Ho Chi Minh City will be a potential market for high-end French products as well as for cultural, tourism and culinary exchange activities between the two sides.

Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations in 1973, and the two nations upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership in 2013.

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