The Opening Session was held at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, the historic site where the first Decree recognizing French as an official language was signed in 1539.
On the afternoon of October 4 (local time), at Villers-Cotterêts Castle, France, the solemn opening session of the 19th Francophone Summit took place with the theme "Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in French" with the participation of nearly 100 member countries of the Francophone Community, Francophone institutions, international and regional organizations, of which nearly 40 countries participated at the level of heads of state and government.
General Secretary and President To Lam led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the 19th Francophone Summit.
According to VNA Special Correspondent, in his opening speech, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the special connection between countries that share the common language of French, affirming that the Francophone community needs to continue promoting cooperation so that French becomes the language of culture, trade and innovation.
The French President also affirmed that the fundamental values of the Francophone community are solidarity, sharing, recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity as well as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, promoting peace and prosperity.
The French President and the Tunisian Prime Minister both highly appreciated the contributions of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) to global processes, including the Future Summit that recently took place in New York.
Secretary General of the Francophone Louise Mushikiwabo affirmed that the Francophone community, with members from many continents, has been growing and actively contributing to common efforts to promote cooperation, dialogue, strengthen peace and respond to global challenges.
The Secretary General stressed that OIF will continue to reform to respond to the rapid changes in the current situation, focusing on digital transformation, sustainable development, supporting programs for women and youth, and further promoting French language teaching and entrepreneurship in French.
On the same day, the General Secretary and President attended a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron; spoke at the Francophone Business Forum on Innovation and Creativity (FrancoTech); and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of Benin and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
It is expected that on October 5, the General Secretary and President will give an important speech at the Conference.
On the occasion of attending the Conference, the General Secretary and President will also meet and discuss with senior leaders of many countries and international organizations to promote bilateral and multilateral diplomatic, political, economic, and trade cooperation.
The 19th Francophone Summit took place on October 4-5 in France. After 33 years, the Conference was held in France.
The Opening Session was held at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, the historic site where the first Decree recognizing French as an official language was signed in 1539.
Within the framework of the Conference, many activities took place, notably the Francophone Business Forum on Innovation and Creativity - FrancoTech, the Francophone Cultural Village and the Francophone Arts Festival./.
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