Stephane, who is in Hanoi for the 12th Vietnam - France decentralized conference slated for April 13-16, said that the event provides great chances for the two localities to discuss and expand partnership in the fields of shared interest.
For his part, Son said that the conference is an important milestone in the locality-to-locality collaboration between the two countries, opening up opportunities for extensive partnership among the localities across all fields, especially in heritage protection and cultural preservation and promotion.
He said that Hanoi is exerting efforts to have the Capital Law amended to better meet the demands in legal mechanisms and policies for the capital city’s promotion of its role and advantages as a locomotive of the Northern region.
Along with turning Hanoi into a modern city, the capital has also focused on preserving and promoting traditional values and dealing with challenges in urban traffic and environmental pollution, he said, expressing his hope to maintain and enhance the sound partnership with Ile-de-France region, while expanding bilateral cooperation to potential and urgent areas.
Stephane said that the French region and Hanoi face similar issues, and local authorities are working to make changes to regional planning. The official stressed that there are plenty of rooms for the two sides to further bolster their cooperation.
Cooperation between the two sides dates back to 1989. It is the first decentralized cooperation agreement signed between France and Vietnam and one of the Ile-de-France region's oldest international partnerships.
In February 2022, Hanoi and the Ile-de-France region signed cooperation plans for the period 2022-2025, focusing on planning and urban management, the French region's strengths. In June 2018, a joint action plan was signed for the period 2018-2021, involving new cooperation projects with the capital of Vietnam in the field of innovation and research.
The Ile-de-France region also supported the inscription of the Hanoi Citadel on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Source: VNA