Vietnam’s role in OIF highlighted at Montpellier conference
Scholars and experts on French language and culture have affirmed Vietnam’s increasingly important role in the French-speaking community and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
Paris (VNA) – Scholars and experts on French language and culture have affirmedVietnam’s increasingly important role in the French-speaking community and theInternational Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) at aconference in France’ssouthern city of Montpellier as part of the Francophone Week from March 27-31.
Imma Tor Faus, who represented the OIF Secretary-General, highlighted theposition and role of Vietnam in the OIF as well as the maintenance anddevelopment of French language in the country.
Sherecognised Vietnam’s significant contributions to the OIF since it joined theorganisation in 1970, especially through the hosting of the Francophone Summitin 1997.
Frenchlanguage in Vietnam has helped foster economic and trade ties with partners,especially in African countries, she said, mentioning Vietnam’s rice growingproject in Cameroon, cashew processing plants in Benin and Ivory Coast, andwood processing project in Gabon.
Theincreasing role of French language in Asia will contribute to promotingexchanges in the region towards a better and more humane world, said Faus.
At theevent, themed “French in Vietnam: History, literature and memories”, VietnameseAmbassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Sonreviewed important milestones in therelations between Vietnam and the IOF in 2016, including the OIF GeneralSecretary’s Vietnam visitin September, President Tran Dai Quang’s attendance atthe Francophone Summit in Madagascar in November, and French President FrancoisHollande’s visit to Vietnam.
The diplomatlauded the achievements of the OIF in various fields, especially preventing andcoping with crises, reinforcing peace, respecting international law, andpromoting cultural diversity, education and environmental protection.
However, healso pointed out that the French-speaking community is facing challenges inVietnam and the Asian region such as modest number of French speakers.
He urged theOIF to continue supporting the teaching of French language, with priority givento bilingual classes, while increasing scholarships and training courses forpublic servants and diplomats.
In terms ofeconomy, the organisation should work harder for the formation of an economicsystem using French language, support partnerships among members and promote themultilateral cooperation in French-speaking space.
On thesidelines of the Francophone Week, Ambassador Son had a meeting with PierrePousessel, Governor of Heraultprefecture to discuss cooperation between thelocality and Vietnamese partners, especially in economy and tertiary education.-VNA
The teaching of French is developing in Southeast Asia, according to Director for the Asia-Pacific of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) Eric-Normand Thibeault.
Vietnam has made significant efforts to contribute to the development of Francophone community and the promotion of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF)’s image in the region.
Vietnam joined French-speaking countries to attend a ceremony at the Kirchner Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 20 to celebrate International Francophonie Day 2017.
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Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
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Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
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The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
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The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
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Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Participants at the conference (Photo: VNA) 
