The event was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang and French Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.

Both sides expressed their delight at trade ties between the two countries with two-way trade reaching 6.65 billion EUR (USD???) in 2018.

They underlined the opportunitiescreated by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement to bolster economic and trade partnerships between Vietnam and France as well as facilitate market penetration for businesses on both sides.

The two sides discussed a number of joint projects, and showed their readiness to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

Over the past decade, a number of projects have received French ODA with committed capital of over 2 billion EUR, including the Hanoi urban metro line No. 3 – a symbol of the Vietnam-France partnership, they noted.

The projects using French ODA are in the fields of transport, energy,environment and food, which are strategic sectors for Vietnam. France has shown a willingness to share experience in these areas.

In recent years, Vietnam and France have strengthened their bilateral partnership through high-level visits, including a visit to France by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in March 2018 and a Vietnam visit by French PM Eduoard Philippe in November the same year.

The annual dialogue aims to promote economic cooperation between the two countries, while creating chances for businesses from both sides to meet and exchange./. VNA