Ms. Lagarde said this at an interview prior to her visit to Vietnam for the 44th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Hanoi.

She said that one of the most important events on her first visit to Vietnam as the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry is the discussion with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, during which both sides will review economic, commercial, and investment cooperation between the two countries.

It is necessary to promote France-Vietnam cooperation in economics as well as politics, Ms. Lagarde said.

She pledged to create favourable  conditions for French businesses interested in investing in Vietnam.

France is now the world’s 15^th biggest investor in Vietnam with a total registered capital of US$2.95 billion.