Brossat, who is president of the communist leaders in Paris District 18, also highly praised Vietnam’s development and said that Vietnam can join hands with other countries to cope with the challenges of today’s world.

The booth sponsored by Vietnam and Nhan Dan (People) newspaper at the festival opened on the evening of September 16.

The press festival provides an opportunity for politicians, Communist Party members and citizens to discuss current issues in modern society with an orientation towards an equitable, peaceful and sustainable society, said Vietnamese ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung.

Speaking at the festival, Ambassador Dung affirmed that solidarity between the Communist Parties in the two countries and between the two peoples must be preserved and upheld in the future.

The Vietnamese display at the festival is divided into a number of parts featuring President Ho Chi Minh and France as well as Vietnamese handicrafts, and the country’s cuisine.

Many overseas Vietnamese in France and French friends attended the opening ceremony of the booth of the Nhan Dan newspaper. Among them were Vietnam's Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Phuong Nga and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nam Hai.

The L’Humanite Press Festival has been held annually by the L’Humanite newspaper of the French Communist Party since 1930 as a political, social and fundraising event. More than half a million of people visit the festival each year.

**

The Vietnamese booth at the festival is called ‘Vietnam’s Charm’, and it aims to introduce foreign investors to the country’s potential for economic development.

For this year's festival, much emphasis has been put on promoting investment and economic cooperation.

Vietnam was chosen to be an honorary guest at the event and was allocated a special space in the festival's exhibition area.

Pierre Lellouche, Secretary of State for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, attended the festival along with many local parliament deputies, and officials from a number of major French economic groups.

Lellouche said that France currently has about 300 businesses investing in Vietnam with total direct investment exceeding EUR3 billion. He also said that Vietnam has a great affinity towards France. “France is ready to accompany Vietnam in its development. I hope we can go further in a number of large scale projects to build thermal power plants, railways, and electric tram systems,” he said.

In 2010, two-way trade between Vietnam and France hit more than EUR 2 billion, making France Vietnam’s third largest European trading partner behind Germany and the UK, according to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nam Hai.