A Việt Nam-France Investment and Trade Promotion Seminar took place in Paris on Wednesday to strengthen connections between the Mekong Delta province of Long An and France.

The event was part of Long An's investment and trade promotion programme in Europe to seek collaboration opportunities.

At the event, vice chair of the Long An People’s Committee Huỳnh Văn Sơn spoke about the province’s trade achievements and advantages.

France ranks second in the European Union (EU) and the 12th out of 41 countries and territories worldwide in terms of investment in Long An, with 12 projects worth over US$161 million, operating mainly in shipbuilding and mineral water production, he said.

Sơn emphasised that France is currently the fourth-largest trading partner and the second-biggest investment partner of Việt Nam in the EU with many large investors and many projects across the Southeast Asian country.

Especially after the working trip of Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to France in early October, Việt Nam and France became comprehensive strategic partners, helping to firmly consolidate the foundations of the two countries’ relations, and explore new co-operation areas.

Son noted that the provincial delegation’s visit to France aims to build and develop co-operative relations with French localities and businesses in various fields, especially economic development.

Christophe Bellanger, vice president in charge of international affairs at the Paris - Île-de-France Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), said that the agency will help promote the potential of Long An and other Vietnamese localities to French businesses so that they can explore opportunities to invest or export their products to Việt Nam in general and Long An in particular.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Long An Party’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Được said through the seminar, Long An wants to promote its image and introduce its planning, orientation, and priority investment areas to CCI Paris Paris - Ile-de-France and its members. Green and clean energy, industrial production, and hi-tech are potential areas for the two sides to co-operate.

Earlier, within the framework of a two-day working visit to France, the Long An delegation visited and worked at the Soletanche Freyssinet Group, which specialises in infrastructure construction. The company operates in more than 60 countries with 7,300 employees, implementing more than 10,000 projects each year.

In Việt Nam, Freyssinet participated in many large projects such as Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge, Mỹ Thuận 2 Bridge, An Đồng Bridge, Bãi Cháy Bridge and Cửa Đại Bridge.

The Vietnamese delegation also visited and learned about the Metro Grand Paris Express construction project, a major project of the Paris Region to solve traffic problems in this large area. — VNS