Vietnam-France solidarity spirit, meaningful sharing with Hue to overcome storm and flood consequences

In the context that many provinces and cities in Central Vietnam are suffering from the severe consequences of a serious natural disaster, the cooperation and solidarity between Hue city and Cergy city of France has been of great significance.

Mayor of Cergy city Jean-Paul Jeandon. (Source: VNA)

From local authorities, cultural and social organizations to the Vietnamese community in France, all have taken action to promptly support the ancient capital to overcome difficulties.

In Cergy, the “Festival de la Solidarité”, which has been held regularly for the past 25 years, aims to promote peace , friendship and cultural diversity. This year, the event takes place in the context of Hue - a sister city of Cergy since 2018 - dealing with the severe consequences of floods.

“Cergy is a world city,” said Moussa Diara, Cergy’s deputy mayor in charge of international cooperation. “We have cooperation relations with Senegal, Palestine and Vietnam – particularly Hue. These relations are built on peace and friendship.”

For the Cergy authorities, the severe flooding in Hue is not just news from afar, but the story of a close friend. Mr. Diara said the city is trying to mobilize all possible resources: “We will present to the City Council in December a support of 25,000 Euros (28,810 USD) for Hue. The city mayor has also sent a letter expressing solidarity to the leaders of Hue city. We will also go to work directly in Hue on December 5 to discuss and agree on projects that need support.”

The relationship between Cergy and Hue is not new, but has developed strongly since 2018 in the fields of culture, education, tourism and vocational training. Hue artists have performed in Cergy; conversely, dancers from the CFD Dance Training Center - the first street dance school in France - have also been present in Hue. Many culinary and tourism students of Cergy have come to the ancient capital to practice their profession. Mr. Diara emphasized that culture plays a very important role, helping to connect people and cultural exchange activities create trust and mutual understanding.

Mayor of Cergy Jean-Paul Jeandon affirmed: “Hue is a city with a thousand years of history, while Cergy is only 50 years old. It is this difference that creates attraction and respect. Cooperating with Hue is a way for us to open the door to Asia.”

Mr. Jeandon also highlighted the role of Cergy city during Hue's difficult time: "We will present to the City Council a support package to help Hue overcome the damage. I have written a letter to Hue leaders expressing the support of all Cergy people."

A performance by the Bronze Silk Association at the Festival.

Not only the Cergy city government, the Vietnamese community here also quickly took many actions when hearing that Hue and many other localities in the Central region of Vietnam suffered from natural disasters. Ms. Dang Thi Phuong Thao - President of the Vietnamese Association in Cergy said that the Vietnamese community here always stands with their homeland: "Festival Solidarité is an annual event, but this year it has a special meaning because Hue suffered heavy damage. We have met with the Cergy government to prepare support for buying seeds, breeds, aquatic products, agricultural products - things that Hue people need right now". Ms. Thao especially emphasized: "The French people and overseas Vietnamese in Cergy all turn to Hue with deep sympathy."

Meanwhile, Mr. Jacques Nguyen Thai Son, an overseas Vietnamese in Cergy, said: “As soon as we heard the news, we urgently donated about 60 million VND to Hue. We also coordinated with the Overseas Vietnamese Association and the Grindery Association to continue to provide support.” Mr. Son was particularly moved when the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Cergy actively helped Hue. “That shows the deep solidarity between the people of both sides,” he emphasized.

In that spirit, at this year's Festival, the Tieng To Dong Association performed many cultural performances imbued with Hue. Along with that, the Vietnamese Association in Cergy also participated in a Vietnamese culinary performance, displayed banners, posters, and showed promotional videos about the meaningful results of cooperation activities between the two localities of Hue and Cergy city.

The Cergy-Hue relationship is not just a mere cultural or administrative cooperation. Over the years and through events, it is a strong international friendship. From the Cergy city government to the overseas Vietnamese community and social organizations, all express the same message: “Hue is not alone”.

In that spirit, the working trip of the Cergy city leadership delegation to Vietnam in early December will continue to expand cooperation, while supporting urgent projects to help Hue recover from natural disasters.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tinh-than-doan-ket-viet-nam-phap-su-se-chia-y-nghia-cung-hue-khac-phuc-hau-qua-bao-lu-335325.html