Vietnamese leader To Lam visits French city of Le Havre
VOV.VN - Party General Secretary and President To Lam of Vietnam visited the French city of Le Havre and held a working meeting with city Mayor Edouard Philippe on October 6 as part of his ongoing official visit to France.
To Lam congratulated the city’s leaders and people on their achievements in making Le Havre one of the important gateways for global maritime trade. He emphasized that Le Havre is also a significant site in the revolutionary life of Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and a lively symbol of friendship between the two countries, representing a valuable heritage that showcases the strong historical ties between Vietnam and France.
The Vietnamese leader highly appreciated Philippe’s positive contributions to the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and France. He expressed joy at the progress of cooperation between Le Havre and Da Nang, which has helped enhance cooperation with various Vietnamese localities in areas such as people-to-people exchanges, port development, logistics and maritime transport, marine environmental protection, and maritime technology.
Philippe for his part introduced Le Havre as a city rebuilt from the ruins after World War II, which has now become a major port center in France and Europe. He spoke highly of Vietnam’s dynamism and remarkable development, and expressed a desire to enhance cooperation between Le Havre and various Vietnamese localities in areas such as training and high-quality human resource training. He said he would encourage French businesses to increase investments in Vietnam, especially in sectors where Le Havre has strengths.
As the President of the International Association of Cities and Ports (IACP), the Mayor, who has acquired expertise in inland transportation, shipbuilding, and maritime tourism, affirmed his commitment to connecting Vietnamese ports with the global port system.
Both host and guest emphasized that the East Sea is a vital shipping route for global trade, highlighting the importance of ensuring peace, stability, security, and safety for maritime and air navigation in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982.
Mayor Edouard Philippe previously served as Prime Minister of France from May 2017 to July 2020. He has visited Vietnam several times, most recently in November 2018 as Prime Minister and again in February 2023 in his capacity as Mayor of Le Havre.
