Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa (Source: VNA)Paris (VNA) – A Vietnamese goods week themed “Honouring Vietnam”, the third of its kind, was recently held in the French city of Lyon, attracting nearly 100 French trade agencies and firms and 20 guest Vietnamese businesses.
Goods from Vietnam were put on display at Casino Gambetta supermarket, including fresh fruits, frozen spring rolls, shrimps, beverages, rice and apparel, among others.
Present in Lyon for the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa hailed the export of Vietnamese goods to European Union via distribution outlets, particularly those in France – a strategic partner of Vietnam, where nearly 400,000 Vietnamese are living and working.
A leader from Casino giant retailer pledged to continue shipping goods from Vietnam to Casino supermarket chains in Europe and the world in the future.
Last year, the group sold 30 million USD worth of Vietnamese goods, sourced from 60 Vietnamese suppliers
On the occasion, the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnamese embassy in France and the Rhone Alpes region’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a seminar featuring the strong growth of Vietnamese economy.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Thoa hailed France as a promising market of Vietnam and the two countries’ enterprises serve as a bridge to bring Vietnamese goods to the world and French goods to Vietnamese consumers.
Vietnamese and French business communities should utilise bilateral free trade agreements to seek mutually-beneficial cooperation opportunities, she said, noting that the Vietnamese Commercial Affair office in France is ready to provide them with assistance.
Francois Turcas, President of the General Confederation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Rhone Alpes region, expressed interest in business opportunities in Vietnam – a vibrant economy and a gateway to ASEAN.
Participants shared information about business climate, policies and legal regulations to boost two-way trade and attract French investment in Vietnam.
French businesses operating representative offices in Vietnam spoke highly of reform in the country, suggesting that Vietnam should continue upgrading infrastructure to meet requirements for socio-economic development and urbanisation.
Apart from the activities, Deputy Minister Thoa also held working sessions with representatives from retailer Auchan and several French businesses.-VNA
