The Consulate General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD), organized this event.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Julien Seillan, AFD Director in Vietnam, highlighted that over three decades of partnership, AFD has provided more than €3.3 billion in funding for 120 development projects across sectors such as energy, transportation, water supply and sanitation, vocational training and agriculture. Nearly one-third of Vietnam’s population has directly benefited from these programs and projects.
In the Southern region, AFD is currently focusing on projects addressing climate change, including coastal erosion control, flood prevention and drought mitigation.
Mr. Julien Seillan emphasized that the mission AFD has been pursuing in Vietnam is sustainable development, climate change adaptation and a low-carbon economy by 2045.
Meanwhile, Mr. Grégory Robert, Deputy Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that the photo exhibition takes visitors on a journey recounting the stories of the people who have dedicated themselves over the past 30 years to implementing more than 100 projects across nearly 30 provinces and cities in Vietnam.
According to him, AFD-funded projects are not only development-oriented but also carry significant humanitarian value, contributing to deepening the cooperative relationship between the two countries.
This event takes place in a special year for France–Vietnam relations, marking French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Vietnam in May 2025 and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to France for the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice last June. It is also the year commemorating the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which was signed in Paris in October 2024.
The French Development Agency is a public financial institution under the French government, established in 1941, operating in more than 110 countries worldwide. AFD began implementing projects in Southern Vietnam in 1999 and currently has an office in the capital city of Hanoi. The agency has maintained a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City until 2020.
