The French region of Rhone-Alpes wants to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City in boosting sustainable development, environmental protection, urban planning and cultural promotion.
A number of cooperation agreements have been signed at talks held recently between Deputy Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee, Nguyen Huu Tin; Vice President of Rhone-Alpes Regional Council, Bernard Soulage; and Vice-President of Greater Lyon, Jean-Michel Daclin.
According to the agreements, France will support Ho Chi Minh City in urban planning and art lighting at the Saigon Central Post Office.
Two delegations from the French Rhone-Alpes region and Val de Marne Province are on a visit to Vietnam.
On this occasion, Ho Chi Minh City and Rhone-Alpes region have signed a number of agreements to boost their comprehensive cooperation in the time to come.
They include a cooperation agreement between HCMC, Rhone-Alpes region and the Lyon Urban Community on urban-related areas and an agreement between HCMC and Lyon City to install a lighting system on the old French Post Office.
A seminar was also held in the City to introduce the potential of Rhone-Alpes region.
At the seminar, Vice Chairman Tin said that the Rhone-Alpes region projects in HCMC have seen encouraging results, especially those on urban planning, sustainable animal husbandry development and poverty reduction.
By November 2012, two-way trade between HCMC and France reached US$567 million. With 122 projects worth $763 million, France is among the top ten foreign investors in Ho Chi Minh City, he added.
The municipal leader suggested the two sides speed up the organization of Ho Chi Minh City Day in Lyon City; expand cooperation in urban planning and environment, especially climate change; and promote the exchange of French culture through the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF).
He expressed his wish that Lyon City will help design lighting systems for some venues and buildings in the City metropolitan area.
Bernard Soulage spoke highly of the cooperation between the two sides in the past, stressing that Rhone-Alpes region always attached importance to its ties with HCMC and wants to further develop this relationship.
At the talks, representatives of Ho Chi Minh City and Lyon City discussed specific cooperation areas such as environment, culture and urban planning.
