Paris (VNA) – Minister of Industry and Trade NguyenHong Dien on December 4 attended a forum on trade and inveꦰstment between France and Southeast Asia.

The event was organised by the French Senate and Business Francewhich is responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses,facilitating international investment in France. It attracted more than 200 businesses from France andASEAN countries, including Vietnam. Dien affirmed that the event helpsstrengthen cooperation between ASEAN and France in particular and between ASEANand EU in general, to together address world issues and promote their 45-yearties. He spoke highly of France's leading role in cooperation withASEAN countries, stressed that Vietnam has special advantages to contribute topromoting relations between ASEAN countries and France, and affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is striving to build an independent, self-reliant economy and integrate into theworld market in a positive, profound, substantive and effective manner. Vietnam welcomes businesses and investors and is committed toproviding long-term policies for them to operate effectively in the country, he said. Within the framework of the forum, Business France and Vietnam’sMinistry of Industry and Trade held a roundtable on Vietnam. At the roundtable, Minister Dien introduced Vietnam’s vision andpolicies for sustainable development to turn it into a hub in regional andworld production and supply chains. The French business community can take Vietnam as the gateway to ASEAN, and Vietnamese businesses can also take advantageof the EVFTA to make France a centre for distributing goods to the entire EU, the official said. According to French customs data, in 2022, the trade turnoverbetween Vietnam and France reached 8.1 billion euros (about 8.7 billion USD),accounting for only 0.6% of the total between France and the wholeworld. This shows that economic relations and trade between the two countriesstill have much room for development, Dien said. On the sidelines of theforum, he also met with leaders of major French oil and energy groupsincluding Perenco, Electricite de France (EDF), Air Liquide, Hydrogen deFrance (HDF). Dien spoke highly of the efforts and contributions by the French groups to the energy sectordevelopment and affirmed that in the coming time, it’s inevitable for Vietnamto shift from fossil fuels to clean energy. Leaders of French corporations showed special interest in the Vietnamese market and affirmed that they will continue to maintain and expand their business and investment in Vietnam, especially targeting new energy industries such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, biomass. Duringhis stay in Paris, Minister Dien and Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh ToanThang co-chaired a talk show on mobilising resources of overseas Vietnamese intellectualsand businesses to develop Vietnam’s energy and commerce sectors./.