On June 22, Nghi visited Toulousecity where he had a meeting with the city’s Mayor and Chairman of theToulouse metropolitan area Jean-Luc Moudenc.
Nghispoke highly of the intensive partnership between the two cities overthe past nearly two decades, especially in restoring and promoting thevalue of heritages and cultural relics, cultural exchange, education andtraining, architecture and urban planning.
Moudenc stated that Hanoi is an important partner that Toulouse hopes to maintain and enhance all-round ties with.
On June 23, the Hanoi leader had a working session with President ofthe Ile-de-France Regional Council Jean-Paul Huchon, during which hesaid Hanoi and the Ile-de-France region have enjoyed a soundcollaboration over the past 25 years.
He thankedthe Ile-de-France region for supporting and affiliating with Hanoi invarious fields, including urban management and planning, publictransport, environmental protection, heritage promotion and tourism.
The successful cooperation model between the two sides is typical forties between Vietnamese and French localities with many joint projects,especially in urban planning and cultural heritage conservation, saidNghi.
He noted that since Hanoi expanded by threetimes in 2008, the city’s population has reached nearly 10 million,contributing 10 percent to the country’s GDP and 20 percent to the totalState budget collection.
Hanoi’s top priority isbuilding a master plan for its development, he said, stressing that thecity hopes to receive French consultations, as this is an area ofFrance’s strength and expertise.
The two sidesdiscussed strategic orientations for the bilateral partnership with theaim to build on the strong points of their local cooperation model overthe past years.
They agreed to finalise acooperation agreement for the 2016-19 period for signing. The agreementwill focus on boosting economic growth, trade-investment, urban andregional planning, environment and climate change response, heritagerestoration and conservation, tourism and vocational training.
After the meeting, Nghi paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at amonument dedicated to the late leader in Montreau Park in Paris’outskirt city of Montreuil and visited the Ho Chi Minh space at theMuseum of Living History.
Also on June 23, Nghi andthe Vietnamese delegation had a meeting with leaders of the CommunistParty of France (PCF), including Jean-Charles Negre, Politburo memberand standing member of the PCF Secretariat, and Lydia Samarbakhsh,Politburo member and Head of the PCF Central Committee’s Commission forExternal Relations.
Nghi briefed the hosts on thepolitical and economic situation in Vietnam, the country’s foreignrelations and preparations for the 12th Party Congress.
Jean-Charles Negre stated that the PCF and the Communist Party ofVietnam have shared a special and time-honoured relationship closelyattached with President Ho Chi Minh, one of the founders of the PCF.
He said that in the current context of a changing world and regionalsituation, the two parties have continued to actively seek newcooperation contents to further their ties. The PCF is also preparingfor a Vietnam visit by National Secretary Pierre Laurent as well as thesecond theory conference between the two parties at the end of thisyear.
The events are expected to create new momentumfor the growth of the two parties’ relations while reinforcing thetheory foundation of both sides, he said.
For hispart, Nghi affirmed that the CPV attaches importance to developingrelations with the PCF, expressing his hope that the two parties willfurther their ties towards a stronger partnership between the twonations.-VNA