Vietnam attends Francophone ministerial meeting in Paris

Assistant to Foreign Minister Nguyen Ngoc Son made the statement at the 27th OIF Ministerial Conference in Paris on December 1-2.

Son said that the OIF should continue promoting its strength to support countries in the post-crisis period, focusing on reconstruction and eliminating risks caused by crises and conflicts. It should also coordinate with relevant regional and international organizations to improve its operational efficiency and consolidate its role and position in the international arena.

Son joined 30 other international delegates to discuss ways to make Francophone cooperation more effective and practical, and review the implementation of commitments adopted at the 13th Francophone summit in Montenegro in October 2010.

They also exchanged views on mobilizing financial resources which are estimated to reduce by 20 percent due to current global economic difficulties and fluctuations.

Participants in the meeting appreciated the results obtained and expressed their determination to continue following through with these commitments to promote the OIF’s image and position in the international arena and boost multilateral Francophone cooperation in different fields.

The conference was also focused on global and Francophone political and economical issues, especially in Madagascar, Egypt, Tunisia, Congo, Morocco and the Ivory Coast, as well as preparations for the 14th Francophone summit to be held in Kinshasa, Congo in October 2012.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Vietnamese delegation held bilateral working sessions with the IOF Director and other officials and heads of delegations from Middle African countries and Macedonia.

In an interview with a VOV correspondent in Paris, Son said that OIF Secretary General Clement Duhaime will visit Vietnam in January 2012 to discuss accelerating some cooperative projects between OIF and Vietnam.