The Vietnamese culture was the highlight of a gala dinner held by theFrance-Vietnam Friendship Association (Le Liseron) in CarrieresSous-Poissy city on November 15 on the occasion of the association’s 15th founding anniversary.

Addressing the event,Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung spoke highly of theoperations of Le Liseron, the Lien Viet Association and Viet Vo Dao(Vovinam) Club, all of which were established by Jean-Marie Pognon, aFrench of Vietnamese origin.

The threeassociations’ activities to introduce Vietnamese culture and tourism andsupport poor students and disadvantaged localities in Vietnam havecontributed importantly to Vietnam’s development and the Vietnam-Francefriendship, he affirmed.

Pognon shared that LeLiseron and the Lien Viet Association have to date helped bring about100 French tourist delegations to Vietnam.

Setup in 1999, Le Liseron, which means Rau Muong – a common type ofvegetable in Vietnam, now comprises approximately 500 members. It hasraised hundreds of thousands of EUR to build houses, provide freesurgery and present scholarships to disadvantaged people in Vietnam’scentral and Central Highlands regions like Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Nghe Anand Ha Tinh.

The Lien Viet Association, formed in 2010, has around 100 members.-VNA