New French Ambassador visits Hai Phong City, opening up new cooperation prospects

On the afternoon of November 15th, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City, Nguyen Van Tung, received Mr. Olivier Brochet, the new French Ambassador to Vietnam, and discussed the possibility of cooperation between France and Hai Phong City in the future.

Welcoming Mr. Olivier Brochet, the new French Ambassador to Vietnam, to his visit and working trip, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City, Nguyen Van Tung, provided a brief overview of some highlights of Hai Phong City.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City, Nguyen Van Tung, received Mr. Olivier Brochet, the new French Ambassador to Vietnam.

Accordingly, Hai Phong is a dynamically developing city in Vietnam with five types of transportation, notably possessing the largest deep-water port in the North and a logistics system that has received significant investment.

Therefore, in recent years, the city has consistently maintained a double-digit growth rate and has been a shining example of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) nationwide.

Despite many similarities and significant potential for growth, economic cooperation between French and Hai Phong businesses remains modest.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City expressed his hope that, during his term, the new Ambassador would support the promotion of investment cooperation between the two sides. Furthermore, the city plans to relocate to a new Political -Administrative Center, and the old buildings, originally constructed by the French, will be converted into museums. The city hopes that the Ambassador will provide support in preserving these buildings and safeguarding their unique cultural values.

Thanking the city leaders for their warm welcome, the new French Ambassador to Vietnam, Olivier Brochet, said that his term had begun with positive signs. He stated that he would do his utmost to promote cooperation between the two sides.

The Ambassador also highly appreciated the teaching of French at several high schools and universities in Hai Phong; in addition, museums are one of the areas in which France has a lot of experience, so they can provide a lot of support to Hai Phong.

To enhance cooperation between the two sides, a Medical Conference was held at Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, which teaches in French.

In addition, the Ambassador also mentioned several projects such as the French-language film week in Hai Phong; an oceanographic vessel exhibiting specimens of marine environmental pollution in Hai Phong and coastal cities; and a project to build a diving school in Cat Ba to support the development of the pearl harvesting industry and scuba diving tourism.

The Ambassador expressed his hope to receive the support of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City so that the projects can be implemented soon. Furthermore, in the economic field, French businesses in Hai Phong are currently facing difficulties regarding customs policies and hope that the Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City will promptly resolve these issues to lay the groundwork for enhanced economic cooperation...

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City and the new French Ambassador to Vietnam exchanged commemorative gifts.

The Chairman of the City People's Committee supports the projects proposed by the Ambassador. Regarding the recommendations on customs procedures, the Chairman of the City People's Committee instructed the City People's Committee Office to schedule a meeting with businesses and customs authorities to understand the situation and resolve the issues as soon as possible.

Regarding the proposal to build a seaport and container warehouse, the Chairman of the City People's Committee suggested that French corporations could form investment partnerships, and that French businesses could contact and work directly with city leaders to shorten the time and increase efficiency.

MINH KHANG

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