The delegation was led by Mr. Francois Corbin, Vice President of MEDEF International in charge of coordination in the ASEAN region, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs' special representative for economic relations in the ASEAN region.
Speaking at the receiving ceremony, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee Vo Van Hoan extended his sincere thanks to MEDEF for its interest in strengthening cooperation with Vietnam in general and HCMC in particular.
He also expressed his joy at the growing friendly and cooperative relationship between Vietnam and France that is believed to be further deepened in the coming time since the establishment of diplomatic ties over 50 years ago, especially since the two countries announced the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October. The cooperation has achieved many successes in various areas, such as politics, diplomacy, trade, science, education, culture, people-to-people exchanges, and local connections.
According to the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the city, the total two-way trade turnover between HCMC and France reached more than US$747 million in 2023. France currently has 359 investment projects in the city with a total registered capital of over US$317 million, ranking 16th out of 122 countries and territories investing in the city.
Mr. Vo Van Hoan welcomed France’s investment, cooperation, and support for the southern metropolis in implementing special mechanisms and policies to promote the modern and sustainable development of infrastructure, services, and industry.
Additionally, he affirmed that the municipal government will continuously create favorable conditions and improve the business and investment environment for French enterprises and investors. He also requested that MEDEF continue to play a key role in connecting business investments between enterprises on both sides in the coming time.
For his part, Mr. François Corbin said that MEDEF organized a business delegation to promote expanding investment and business cooperation in Vietnam, including HCMC after the visit to France by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam in October.
He stressed that MEDEF and French businesses always treasure and further strengthen their cooperative relationship with Vietnam, particularly in economy, trade, and energy.
