French Foreign Trade Minister Visits Vietnam

Mr. Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, attached to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, paid an official visit to Vietnam from February 28 to March 2.

This official visit took place as part of activities this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership.

The visit aimed to strengthen Vietnamese and French cooperation and reaffirm the importance of France's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region and the need to bolster France's economic presence in this region.

Within the framework of the visit, Minister Olivier Becht supported structural projects conducted by French businesses and welcomed the emergence of new partnerships.

He also attended the Forum of French Foreign Trade Advisors in Asia-Pacific, held in Ho Chi Minh City, on March 2-3, which brought together nearly 500 active French business leaders in this region.

Minister Olivier Becht emphasized the importance of France's industrial presence in Vietnam in the health sector.

In particular, he visited the SANOFI factory, which has been in Vietnam for 70 years and employs 1,100 employees, including 500 currently working in manufacturing factories and operating a research and development center.

The Embassy of France in Vietnam affirmed that Vietnam is a key and dynamic country in ASEAN. France maintains historical ties with Vietnam. About 300 French companies have operated in Vietnam and employed nearly 50,000 workers.

By Giang Tu, Vietnam Business Forum