Paris (VNA) – With impressive macro-economic indexes in recent years, Vietnam has strong appeal for French businesses, according to Commercial Counsellor at the Vietnamese Embassy🌄 in France ꦜNguyen Quynh Anh.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents on the threshold of the workshop “Vietnam, a new Asian dragon” in France, Anh said French firms are seeking to partner with Vietnamese counterparts in many fields, especially in energy, which is one of France’s strengths. They also hoped for strengthened links with Vietnam in agriculture and infrastructure development, she noted. According to the counsellor, France is an important partner of Vietnam in the fields of pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, and farm products. France’s exports to Vietnam in 2015 increased by 72.5 times compared to 2014, while Vietnam’s exports to the European country hit 3.7 billion EUR, up 32.2 percent against those in the previous year. Many French companies have set up their representative offices in Vietnam. This shows that French firms are very interested in the Vietnamese market, she added. Anh also said there is great potential for Vietnamese business to promote export of farm products such as rice, tea and coffee to France, especially when the Vietnam-EU free trade agreement takes effect. The workshop “Vietnam, a new Asian dragon” is jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Senate of France and the French agency for trade and investment promotion. Beginning on March 25 , the event will include round-table seminars to promote Vietnam’s farm produce. It aims to update both sides’ enterprises on information related to market potential, and business customs, offering a good chance to discuss measures to enhance connection between the two countries’ business in the coming time. On the occasion, a cooperation agreement will be signed between the Vietnam Agency of Trade Promotion and the French agency for trade and investment promotion, towards improving the Vietnamese agency’s capacity in helping Vietnamese businesses enter foreign markets, as well as helping French companies start business in Vietnam.-VNA