The event, the first of its kind hosted by thelocality, is a good chance to promote the Vietnamese culture andstrengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing the opening ceremony on June 2, Jean-Charles Negre, VicePresident of the Provincial Council, underscored the importance of theevent, which is one of many arranged to mark the 40 th anniversary ofbilateral diplomatic ties.
He highly praised theeffectiveness of the projects invested by Seine-Saint-Denis inVietnam ’s Hai Duong province, which were launched in 2006 in therealms of culture, health care, planning, education and training.
Mentioning China’s illegal placement of its oil rig in Vietnam’swaters, Negre criticised the provocative act, stressing that no countrycan place itself higher than others.
“Hegemonism inany form is unacceptable,” he said, adding that China ’s activities inthe East Sea worried the international community and must bestrongly condemned.
A political solution throughdialogue must be conducted at once on the basis of international law andthe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he added.
Meanwhile, Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung praised the province’sidea to hold the event, which he described as a great chance forparticipants to discover more about Vietnam as well as theVietnam-France friendship.
At the ceremony, a filmtitled “Vietnam – Secret negotiations” by French director Daniel Rousselwas screened, together with an exhibition on the Vietnam-Francefriendship, showcasing many photos and formerly classified wartimedocuments.
Within the event’s framework, a number of activities will also be organised in various cities in the province.-VNA