Established
in 2018, the Vietnam - France Friendship Association of Dong Nai province (the
Association) has shown its initiative and actively promoted its role as a
connector. It not only contributes to cultivating the friendship between the
people of Dong Nai province and the French people, but also promotes the
movement of learning French in the locality.
Chairman of Dong Nai Union Friendship Organizations Nguyen
Thanh Tri presents gifts to Ms. Emmanuelle PAVILLON-GROSSER, Consul General of
France in Ho Chi Minh City
According to Mr. Tran Minh Hung, Chairman of the Provincial
Vietnam - France Friendship Association, in Dong Nai, since the 2002-2003
school year, French has been taught in schools. There are currently 3 schools
implementing this educational program: Nguyen Du Primary School, Thong Nhat
Secondary School and Tran Bien High School with nearly 300 students studying.
After 21 years of implementation, teaching and learning French has always been
maintained, developed and achieved certain results. Many teachers have become
the core force in teaching French. Many students have grown up and use French
as a tool on their career path.
Besides teaching French in
schools, many cultural exchange activities between Vietnam and France are also
promoted in Dong Nai. According to Mr. Tran Minh Hung, the Association is
always proactive and actively promotes its role as a bridge in people-to-people
diplomacy. Every year, the Association regularly connects with the Consulate
General of France and the French Institute in Vietnam to organize friendship
exchange activities, celebrating International Francophonie Day, the Day of
establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and the Day of
establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, National Day of
the French Republic,…
In recent years, on the
occasion of the Independence Day of the French Republic, the Provincial Union
of Friendship Organizations have coordinated with the Provincial Vietnam -
France Friendship Association and schools organized French Speech Contests and
study abroad consulting in France. That has become a playground and opportunity
for students learning French, people who love France to actively participate.
In addition, the French
Institute in Vietnam also donated hundreds of books and reference materials to
the libraries of schools teaching French in the province. At the same time, the
Association has connected to register teachers who are teaching French to
receive French language training during the summer, online classes and
participate in other activities organized by the French Institute.
Not only educational and
cultural exchange activities, Dong Nai province also has cooperative
relationships with two localities of the French Republic, which are the
Rhône-Alpes region and the Bretagne region. The areas in which Dong Nai
province and French localities signed a cooperation agreement include: economic
development, solidarity with disadvantaged populations, technical assistance in
training, promotion of forest heritage, cooperation in the textile, garment,
footwear and leather industries, and development cooperation in the field of
production and processing of agricultural and livestock products...
Delegates visit the
painting contest "Vietnam - France Friendship"
The cooperative
relationship between Dong Nai and the two regions of France has contributed to
creating favorable conditions for Dong Nai to develop its market, increasing
export turnover between Dong Nai and French localities, not only in the field
of industry or agriculture but also investment, trade, tourism, education and
health.
In particular, there are
currently 18 French enterprises investing in the province with a total capital
of 182.8 million USD. In addition, 4 French non-governmental organizations are
operating in the province with projects implemented in the fields of health and
society, contributing to promoting the province's socio-economic development.
Vietnam currently ranks
2nd among countries receiving French ODA in Asia with an amount of over 18.4
billion USD. Simultaneously, France is also the leading bilateral European ODA
donor to Vietnam. In addition, the two countries have many rich and diverse
undergraduate and graduate training exchange and cooperation programs with
hundreds of agreements signed between universities and research centers on both
sides. There are currently about 7 thousand Vietnamese students studying in
France.
Ms. Anne-Laure Vincent, French Language Cooperation
Attaché of the French Embassy located at the French Consulate General in Ho Chi
Minh City, said that in the 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the
two countries have expressed their common desire to maintain a deep and
practical relationship associated with the spirit of cooperation for the
benefit of the two peoples, for peace, cooperation and development in the
region and the world. Ms. Anne-Laure Vincent highly appreciated Dong Nai's cultural
exchange activities, economic development, and support for connecting
Vietnamese people with French. This contributes to spreading the love and
connection between the two countries.