The signing ceremony was witnessed by Nguyen Duc Dung, Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang  municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council; Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang; and Caroline Leclercq, Deputy Mayor of Le Havre.

The MoU marks a new chapter in cooperation between Da Nang and Le Havre. The two cities pledged to work together in the areas of economics, logistics, urban and port planning, innovation, higher education, and tourism through the promotion of their cultural, artistic, and historical heritages.

Le Havre, recognized as a Smart Port City, will share its expertise and experience with Da Nang, which is developing a modern deep-water port and is poised to become a leading maritime and logistics hub in the region.

In the field of innovation, enterprises and organizations in Le Havre, including Soget, Towt, Logivet France, and Seafrigo,  pledged to step up cooperation by combining knowledge, technology, and innovation while supporting the ecological transition and sustainable development of both localities.

In higher education, the two cities expressed their wish to broaden current academic cooperation through more diverse exchange programs.

Over the past two years, universities from both sides have worked closely on student exchange and joint research programs in maritime and port studies.

Each year, around 20 Vietnamese students apply to study at Le Havre University. EM Normandie Business School, one of France’s leading institutions in business management, has maintained close ties with Vietnam through years of academic exchange and cooperation.

The school operates a campus in Ho Chi Minh City, training senior executives from 25 major Vietnamese corporations. Additionally, Sciences Po, a leading university in international studies, has actively contributed to boosting bilateral relations through its exchange and joint research programs.

As Vietnam and France elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in late 2024, the establishment of locality-to-locality cooperation between Da Nang and Le Havre carries special significance, promising practical, effective, and sustainable cooperation in the years ahead.

Following the signing ceremony, the Da Nang delegation, led by People’s Council Chairman Nguyen Duc Dung and Vice Chairman Tran Nam Hung, held working sessions with maritime industry firms, logistics investors, and university representatives in Le Havre. City leaders expressed their desire to further connect with French partners to augment cooperation in industry, trade, innovation, startup, and financial center development.

Earlier, during the working trip to France, the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Paris, where they asked Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang to help ramp up cooperation between the two localities and connect potential French partners interested in investment opportunities in Da Nang.

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