Francophone festival of Mekong Delta underway
The 22nd Francophone festival of the Mekong Delta is underway in Can Tho city to tighten the relations between Vietnam and France and promote the bilateral cultural exchange.
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The March 9-10 event features various activities including a seminar on French-speaking jobs, an exhibition displaying traditional crafts and tourism products of localities in the delta, a presentation contest on local handicraft products.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Tan Hien said that the festival is a traditional cultural activity which is held annually and alternately among French-teaching localities in the region.
It creates an opportunity for the French-speaking community in the region to gather and participate in French language-related activities, contributing to promoting the sound relations between Vietnam and France in the areas of culture and education, as well as celebrating the 49th anniversary of the International Francophone Day (March 20, 1970), he added.
Vincent Floreani, French Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, said Vietnam and France are active members of the Francophone community – which gathers 88 countries and territories.
The Francophone community in the Mekong Delta makes up 20 percent of the total number of French-speaking students across Vietnam, he noted, adding the country currently has more than 8,000 high school pupils and 500 university students learning French language at approximately 40 schools.
