EDITOR'S NOTE:
Tet is the time to return to your roots and enjoy the warmth of family reunion.
Tet is also a special time to look back on the past, to start a new year with faith and hope for the best things.
Welcome the Year of the Snake, VietNamNet shares stories about Tet, about the nation's position, about the new era, the era of national growth.
Ambassador Olivier Brochet personally decorated the house, arranged flowers, prepared cakes and jams, and served delicious tea to guests who came to celebrate Tet. The Ambassador shared with VietNamNet on the occasion of the New Year of the Snake 2025.
This is the second time the Ambassador celebrates Tet in Vietnam. Is today the first time you wear Ao Dai? How do you feel about Vietnamese Tet and how Vietnamese people celebrate Tet?
Last year I experienced Tet in Hanoi, it was really interesting. I was especially impressed with the Vietnamese people's attitude towards Tet and the meaning of Tet, which seems to be similar to our Christmas.
This is an occasion to turn to family, roots with love - spiritual values associated with Tet. And especially Vietnamese people have very beautiful customs to remember and show gratitude to grandparents, parents, and teachers.
French Ambassador Olivier Brochet decorates his house with peach branches and calligraphy
The series of events during Tet is similar to Christmas. Last year I went to the flower market, visited the kumquat and peach gardens. The image of people transporting anything on motorbikes, bustling on the streets is also very special. I took many photos of people carrying cumbersome peach and kumquat trees.
Ao Dai is a very beautiful image of Vietnam. Any international visitor to Vietnam is amazed and admired when seeing women wearing Ao Dai and I am no exception. After being in Vietnam for a while, I discovered that men can also wear Ao Dai, although only on rarer, more formal occasions. Therefore, I ordered an Ao Dai from a famous designer and I am honored to wear it this Tet.
Honestly, since it was my first time wearing it, I was still a bit awkward, just like when I was 20 years old and wore a suit for the first time. But I think I will get used to it after a few Tet holidays. When I welcomed my family to Vietnam for Christmas, I also wore this ao dai to show them.
Looking back at the relationship between the two countries over the past years with many important milestones and proud achievements, what can the Ambassador share about the Vietnam - France relationship?
France and Vietnam have a long history of relations. In 2023, we celebrated the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
2024 is an important year with two events, the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu, the French Government sent representatives including the Minister of Defense and the Secretary of State in charge of veterans to attend the celebration in Vietnam. The presence of representatives of the French Government shows that the two countries can look at the past not to forget it but to look towards the future.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, along with Secretary General of the Francophone Louise Mushikiwabo, welcomed General Secretary To Lam to attend the opening ceremony of the Francophone Summit (October 2024). Photo: Minh Nhat
The second event is the attendance at the 19th Francophone Summit and the official visit to France by General Secretary and President To Lam in October 2024. This is also the first direct meeting between the two countries' heads of state. Vietnam and France have upgraded their diplomatic relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
For us, this is a manifestation of friendship and trust that Vietnam has for France. With the new framework of relations, France commits to accompany and support Vietnam in developing and overcoming current challenges.
The next event is the inauguration and operation of Hanoi Metro Line 3, a symbolic project in the cooperation between France and Vietnam. France has provided 500 million euros (13.6 trillion VND) to finance this railway line, and French enterprises have also actively participated in the project with the best technology.
We are very pleased with the project's operation, with an estimated 2-3 million people using this public transport. This is proof that France wants to cooperate with Vietnam in developing green transport, towards sustainable development.
French Ambassador Olivier Brochet.
The Vietnam-France Joint Statement on upgrading relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership set out the future development direction for the two countries.
Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi) hit Vietnam in September 2024, causing severe damage in the northern provinces. From this, we can see the risks caused by climate change, requiring us to work together to respond.
The storm also showed the solidarity between the two countries. Immediately after receiving news of the damage, the French President decided to support Vietnam. In addition, the French community in Vietnam and French businesses joined hands to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences.
Next February, France will host an international conference on artificial intelligence, followed by a conference on climate change, and in June 2025, a UN summit on the ocean. We hope that Vietnam will participate and contribute to these international events.
During his visit to France in October 2024, General Secretary To Lam quoted the French proverb “When we want, we can, and when we can, we must do”, with the will and determination to bring the relationship between the two countries deeper and more practical. What is the Ambassador’s assessment of the potential for cooperation between the two countries?
Regarding the priority of bilateral cooperation, France wishes to accompany Vietnam in the process of energy transition and development, aiming to ensure growth while minimizing environmental impacts. We will continue to focus on developing renewable energy.
At the Long Bien Bridge amusement park, the French Ambassador talked with women in Phuc Tan ward about converting polluted areas into public spaces.
Ambassador Olivier Brochet experienced riding the train on the Nhon - Hanoi railway line.
France is also ready to cooperate with Vietnam in developing nuclear power. France is one of the leading countries in developing nuclear power with more than 60 years of experience.
The second is rail transport, including the North-South high-speed railway project. France is very famous for its high-speed railway system (TGV - Train à Grande Vitesse) and has exported technology to many countries around the world, most recently the high-speed train line in Morocco. We have been operating this system for more than 40 years without any incidents.
Third, France is eager to cooperate with Vietnam in the field of ecological agricultural development to ensure sustainable development.
France has also cooperated with Vietnam in developing e-administration to bring it closer to the people, e-Government, digital transformation, and training in administrative schools. We understand that this is one of the areas in which General Secretary To Lam wants to make breakthroughs in the coming time. And we absolutely have the opportunity to cooperate.
Regarding human resource training, in my opinion, to achieve the ambitious goal, we need to solve the problem of high-quality human resources. We are always ready to create conditions for more and more Vietnamese students to study in France. We hope that many young Vietnamese people will choose French university training programs in Vietnam or at French universities.
French Ambassador Olivier Brochet expressed his interesting feelings when wearing Ao Dai for the first time.
In 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has always set ambitious goals. But more importantly, Vietnam has always known how to achieve its goals.
France was one of the first Western partners to accompany Vietnam's development since the beginning of its opening up. And to this day, we still wish to continue to accompany Vietnam in the future.
We believe that Vietnam has the resources and means to achieve these goals.
Since 2020, two key Vietnamese leaders have visited France, namely General Secretary To Lam (October 2024) and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (November 2021). On the French side, President of the Senate Gérard Larcher also visited Vietnam (December 2022). In 2025, could the Ambassador tell us about the possibility of a high-level visit between the two countries, especially on the French side at the head of state level?
The plans for high-level visits are sometimes surprising to be interesting. During the visit to France in October, General Secretary To Lam and the French President discussed many interesting topics, the two leaders showed mutual understanding and wished to have opportunities to meet to continue exchanging and deepening the relationship between the two countries.
Since the meeting between the two countries' leaders, we have been preparing for the next important visits. We hope that in 2025 there will be a specific result. We would like to keep it a secret to create surprises and excitement.
With public information, I would like to share that the President of the French Senate has also invited National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man to visit France this year.
At the end of 2024, the Ambassador and the Vietnamese press had interesting experiences at places bearing the mark of Vietnam-France cooperation in Hanoi. Could you share more about the projects being implemented?
Regarding the Long Bien Bridge renovation project, a French company is conducting research on the technical parameters and feasibility of the project, expected to be completed in the fall of this year. The reason for taking so long is because this is an important research project, very detailed and specific, and requires proposals and directions for renovation. Like Vietnam, the French side is also eagerly awaiting the results.
France is ready to provide financial and technical support for this project, with the hope that Vietnam will quickly decide on the most suitable plan to upgrade Long Bien Bridge.
The Ambassador invited guests to enjoy traditional Vietnamese cakes and jams and tea together during Tet.
Although I did not know much about Hanoi and only learned about the city since taking office in Vietnam, Hanoi has left many good and deep impressions after more than 1 year of living here.
The most impressive thing about the city is the harmony between ancient and modern features that not every place has.
Every time I have the chance to walk around the streets, I feel interested in the cultural life of Hanoi wherever I am. The city has many modern cinemas and theaters such as the Hoan Kiem Theater near the French Embassy, with events that attract many young audiences.
Another special thing about Hanoi that I really like is that the city still retains its own ancient features, especially in the central areas. This is also a challenge for the capital in the coming time, how to develop and modernize while still maintaining its own identity.
Not only simply maintaining and preserving the architectural landscape, but also ensuring convenience for people living in that area.
The Ile-de-France region of France has also cooperated with Hanoi in improving public transport, planning cultural spaces...
During our tenure in Vietnam, we have also tried to spend time visiting many localities. I also admire the beauty of the localities in Vietnam, with the diversity of landscapes and the warm welcome that makes any tourist feel comfortable.
I am also impressed with the dynamism of the provinces and cities. Wherever I go, I see the determination to strive, change and develop...
Thank you Ambassador!
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