Promoting cooperation in agriculture, education and climate change response between Vietnam and France

According to a VNA reporter in France, within the framework of a working trip to Perpignan City, the capital of the Pyrénées-Orientales province, in the Occitanie region in southern France, the delegation of the Vietnamese Embassy in France led by Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang had working sessions with many key leaders of the province and city.

The working trip opened up specific cooperation prospects in the fields of economics , education, energy transition and sustainable development, strategic priorities of both Vietnam and France.

The delegation worked with leaders of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Pyrénées-Orientales province.

During the working session with Mr. Laurent Gauze, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Pyrénées-Orientales province, the two sides had an in-depth discussion on business cooperation opportunities, technology transfer and market development. Mr. Gauze highly appreciated Vietnam's open and dynamic spirit, and affirmed that the cooperative relationship between CCI and Vietnamese partners has been maintained effectively over the years. According to him, the current period opens up new opportunities to expand cooperation in the fields of green economy and agricultural logistics.

For his part, Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang said that Vietnam is strongly promoting the energy market, including developing nuclear power, renewable energy and improving the efficiency of electricity use in industry and life. The Ambassador also introduced the progress of Vietnam's electric vehicle industry, in which VinFast Group has demonstrated its capacity for integration and technological innovation.

On this occasion, CCI introduced Diam Bouchage, the world's second largest cork manufacturing group, which owns the technology to completely eliminate the "cork smell", an important factor in wine preservation. In addition, Mr. Gauze also said that he had met with two businesses in the bottling sector and a research institute, units that are working or wish to work with Vietnam on high-tech, high-quality industrial products. Mr. Gauze expressed his great confidence in the potential for cooperation between the Pyrénées-Orientales province and Vietnam.

The delegation visited the Domaine Lafage wine production facility.

Regarding the potential for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and supply chains, one of the highlights of the visit was the working session at the Saint-Charles Center, the largest import and distribution hub for fruits and vegetables in Europe, with a transit volume of more than 1.8 million tons of goods per year.

CCI wishes to cooperate with Vietnam in the field of cold transport and fruit commercialization. Vietnamese tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, mango, durian... are popular with European consumers, but still face challenges in logistics and preservation. Saint-Charles' experience in this field can help significantly expand the market share of Vietnamese agricultural products in Europe.

Regarding cooperation in education, training and digital transformation, the Vietnamese Embassy delegation also visited School 42, a world-renowned programming training facility with 57 global branches. Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang said that Vietnam, with its young and dynamic workforce, is interested in this modern practical training model; at the same time, expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation between School 42 and Vietnamese universities and technology enterprises, including FPT Corporation, which is expanding its presence in France.

Regarding cooperation in climate change response and sustainable development, at the reception, Ms. Hermine Malherbe, President of the Pyrénées-Orientales Provincial Council, wished to develop decentralized cooperation with Vietnam in the fields of society, environment and climate change response.

Ms. Malherbe said that both sides have many similarities, especially in the field of agriculture. Pyrénées-Orientales boasts an agricultural sector with fruit and vegetables, livestock, fine wine production and a tourism and leisure economy based on regional attractiveness. Another characteristic is services: services for the people, public services and digital technology serving the community. Therefore, there are many factors for both sides to research and cooperate together.

The delegation visited the Domaine Lafage wine production facility.

In particular, in the field of environmental protection and climate change adaptation, Ms. Malherbe shared, this could be a focus area of ​​upcoming cooperation between the two sides in the context of Pyrénées-Orientales facing severe drought and the risk of flooding in some other places.

Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang highly appreciated this cooperation orientation, saying that it is an opportunity to strengthen connections between localities, businesses and training facilities, contributing to the implementation of the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, a joint commitment of Vietnam and the European Union (EU).

In the field of training cooperation, according to Ms. Malherbe, Perpignan City in particular and Pyrénées-Orientales Province in general are ready to welcome Vietnamese students and researchers to study here. This locality has many advantages to attract international students, especially the cost of living is more reasonable than other major cities in France. In addition, in addition to the technology field such as at School 42 and other scientific or social fields at the University of Perpignan, students interested in the culinary and wine service industry can study French wine.

Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang presented a souvenir to Mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot.

During the working visit, Mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot welcomed the Vietnamese delegation at Pams Palace, an iconic architectural work of Perpignan city. This was an opportunity for the two sides to discuss cultural, tourism and heritage exchange activities, areas that contribute to strengthening understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

The delegation also visited and learned about the wine production process at Domaine Lafage, one of the largest traditional wine production facilities in the Roussillon region, which stands out in applying sustainable and regenerative agricultural methods, seeking to adapt to climate change such as using drought-resistant grape varieties, weather monitoring technology, using forests around vineyards... The visit has opened up many possibilities for cooperation not only in the wine industry but also in sustainable agricultural production and climate change response.

With specific exchanges and an open spirit of cooperation, the working trip to Perpignan not only strengthened the traditional Vietnam-France relationship, but also opened a new chapter for decentralized cooperation towards sustainable, innovative and environmentally friendly development.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/thuc-day-hop-tac-nong-nghiep-giao-duc-va-ung-pho-bien-doi-khi-hau-giua-viet-nam-phap-20251029202741137.htm