At the reception, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong expressed satisfaction with the deep and effective development of Vietnam–France relations across all sectors. For Ho Chi Minh City, France is a traditional partner making practical contributions. The city maintains active cooperation with major French localities and continues to expand partnerships in areas of mutual potential and developmental need, notably through initiatives to research Saigon Riverfront spatial development, heritage preservation, and cultural human resource training.
Building on the Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as well as France's strengths and the city's development priorities, the Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee proposed key areas for focused cooperation. These include finance, transport infrastructure, energy, urban planning and development, digital transformation, high technology, healthcare, education and training, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
He expressed hope that Ho Chi Minh City and French partners would further expand practical cooperation, particularly in education, Francophone culture, and innovation.
Commending Ho Chi Minh City’s rapid development, Éléonore Caroit noted that 75 percent of French citizens living in Vietnam reside and work in Ho Chi Minh City, while numerous French enterprises in infrastructure development are already operating in the country. Highlighting Paris as a leading financial hub, she affirmed that France stands ready to support the planning and development of the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City.
Cultural cooperation also remains a key priority for France. Éléonore Caroit expressed her hope that Ho Chi Minh City leadership would continue supporting the effective operation of French-language primary, secondary, and higher education institutions in the city.
In addition, she affirmed France’s readiness to assist Vietnam in general, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, in responding to climate change.
