Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will conclude today [October 3] the four-day official visit to France at the invitation of his French counterpart with a series of contracts worth up to US$6 billion signed between both sides’ businesses as a result, State media reported on October 3.
While in Paris, the government leader held significant talks with French PM Francois Fillon, President Nicolas Sarkozy, Senate President Christian Poncelet and Parliament President Bernard Accoyer, expressing his hope that the two countries would more closely join hands in the future to reinforce and build the long-term traditional friendship relation and further boost the economic, trade and investment ties.
During the talk with President Sarkozy, Dung called on the EU nation’s supports for Vietnam’s projects to restore the Long Bien Bridge, upgrade the Hanoi-based Medicine University, and build a railway route in the city of Hanoi. He also proposed the two sides take it in turns to hold “Vietnam Month” and “France Month” in each nation.
The French leader for his part expressed his belief that Vietnam would be voted for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council and pledged to support the country in interracial issues.
On the agenda of the visit, Dung October 2 attended the Vietnam-France business forum which drew the participation of around 500 Vietnamese and French enterprises. Speaking to the participants, the PM Dung noted the Vietnamese government is striving to create the most favorable conditions including preferential polices and transparent procedures for foreign businessmen to invest in Vietnam.
He affirmed Vietnam is an attractive, safe and effective destination for French enterprises, calling on them to promote their business in Vietnam, essentially in fields of transport infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, banking and finance, agricultural processing.
Dung later witnessed the signing of contracts and agreements worth almost US$6 billion. They include a pact between the Vietnam Garment and Textile Corporation (Vinatex), the Tin Nghia Company and the BNP Parisbas to issue Vinatex bonds worth US$500 million, a US$500 million contract between the Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development and several French companies to aid Vietnamese farmers export coffee. Notably, the state oil monopoly PetroVietnam signed agreements on cooperation and loan supply with the Total Group and BNP Parisbas, respectively.
On the same day, Dung also paid a visit to the National Polytechnic University. Speaking to professors and students, the PM Dung stated that the Vietnamese community of 300,000 living in France would serve as a bridge to the promotion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. (Liberated Saigon, Young People)
Vietnamese
