Vietnamese leader To Lam attends opening session of 19th Francophonie Summit
VOV.VN - Party General Secretary and President To Lam of Vietnam attended the opening session of the 19th Francophonie Summit held at Villers-Cotterêts castle, France, on October 4 afternoon (local time).
Themed "Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in French, the summit, aka Villers-Cotterêts summit, brought together leaders from nearly 100 member countries of the Francophonie community, as well as Francophone institutions and international and regional organizations. Among them were heads of state and government of the Francophonie community.
In his opening remarks, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the special bond between countries that use French, asserting that the Francophonie community needs to continue enhancing cooperation to make French a language of culture, trade, and innovation.
He also affirmed that the fundamental values of the Francophonie community are unity, sharing, recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, while promoting peace and prosperity.
Both the French President and the Prime Minister of Tunisia praised the contributions of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) to global processes, including the UN Summit of the Future recently held in New York, USA.
Taking the floor, Francophonie Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo highlighted that the Francophonie community, with members from various continents, has been maturing and is actively contributing to collective efforts to promote cooperation and dialogue, reinforce peace, and address global challenges.
The Secretary-General emphasized that the OIF will continue to reform in order to respond to the rapid changes in the current situation, focusing on digital transformation, sustainable development, while supporting programs for women and youth, and further promoting the teaching of French and entrepreneurship in French.
On the same day, the Vietnamese General Secretary and President attended a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, delivered a speech at the Francophone Business Forum on Innovation and Creativity (FrancoTech), and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of Benin and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam.
It is expected that on October 5, the Vietnamese leader will deliver an important speech at the Villers-Cotterêts summit. He will also meet and discuss with senior leaders from various countries and international organizations to promote diplomatic, political, economic, and bilateral and multilateral trade cooperation between Vietnam and those countries.
The 19 Francophonie Summit is taking place on October 4-5 in France. Various activities are being held within the summit’s framework, including FrancoTech 2024, Francophone cultural village and Francophone festival.
