On the afternoon of December 11, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet held a meeting and interview with domestic press and television at the French Embassy in Hanoi. The interview was an opportunity to summarize the achievements of France-Vietnam cooperation in 2024 and look forward to the cooperation plan for the new year 2025.
At the meeting, Ambassador Brochet impressed the press when he wore the traditional Vietnamese ao dai for the first time. Not only that, he also proved that he was integrating well with the domestic culture, when he personally decorated peach blossoms and treated guests to tea and fruit jam - typical gifts during each Lunar New Year in Vietnam.
"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," the ambassador said. "But after being in Vietnam for a while, I discovered that men can also wear ao dai, although only on rarer, more formal occasions. That's why I ordered an ao dai from a famous designer and I am honored to wear it in this interview."
However, Mr. Brochet admitted that this was the first time he wore the ao dai, so he still encountered some difficulties. "It reminds me of the first time I wore a European suit when I was 20 years old, but I think I will get used to it after a few Tet holidays," the French ambassador humorously said. "When I welcome my family to Vietnam for Christmas, I will wear this ao dai to show them."
Expectations for new heights in Vietnam-France relations
Speaking to the press, Ambassador Olivier Brochet excitedly said that 2024 is a year that marks many important milestones in Vietnam-France diplomatic relations, with two major events: the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory and the official visit to the French Republic by General Secretary To Lam. Upgrading relations to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership demonstrates France's commitment to supporting Vietnam in developing many areas such as energy, railway transport, sustainable agriculture and training high-quality human resources.
In addition, France also supports Vietnam in streamlining the political apparatus, administrative reform and developing e-administration. Cooperation activities between the two countries in the fields of law and administration have taken place for many years, with the participation of experts and high-ranking officials.
"Forty years since the reform period, Vietnam has always set ambitious goals and always knows how to achieve them. As one of the first Western partners to accompany Vietnam's development process from the opening period until now, we wish to continue to accompany Vietnam with the goals set in the coming time, and we believe that Vietnam has enough resources and methods to achieve these goals," the ambassador emphasized.
Mr. Olivier Brochet also paid special attention to two major projects with French imprints in Hanoi, namely the elevated urban railway line from Nhon to Hanoi Railway Station, and the Long Bien Bridge renovation project. According to him, the opening of Metro Line 3 in Hanoi has attracted special attention from France, because this is not only a strong field of French enterprises, but also a new milestone in the cooperation relationship between Vietnam and France in the field of urban transport.
Regarding the Long Bien Bridge renovation project, the ambassador said that the French company Artelia is conducting a study on the technical parameters and feasibility of this project, and is expected to complete the study by the fall of next year. France is ready to provide financial and technical support for this project, with the hope that the Vietnamese side will quickly decide on the most suitable Long Bien Bridge upgrade plan.
An "old" yet "new" Hanoi in the eyes of the French Ambassador
Although he did not know much about Hanoi and had only learned about the city since taking office in Vietnam, Ambassador Olivier Brochet said that Hanoi had left him with many good and deep impressions after more than a year of living here. Among them, what impressed him most about the city was the harmony between ancient and modern features that not every place has.
"Every time I have the opportunity to walk around the streets, I am impressed by Hanoi's cultural life 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," Mr. Brochet said. "However, another special thing about Hanoi that I really like is that the city still retains its own ancient features, especially in the central neighborhoods."
The deep affection for the capital Hanoi makes the French ambassador always ponder how to help the city continue to develop and modernize, while still maintaining its own identity and charm. "I think this process is not simply about maintaining and preserving architectural landscapes, but also about ensuring that people living in that area still have convenience for their lives," he said.
According to Ambassador Olivier Brochet, Hanoi is currently facing two problems, of which traffic and travel are the first. Elevated railway projects can partly solve this thorny problem. However, there are many other problems in the city's traffic sector that both sides need to consider and come up with plans to improve and solve in the near future.
Another major challenge for Hanoi, and one that is becoming increasingly serious, is the issue of air quality. According to Mr. Brochet, France and Vietnam need to coordinate and come up with drastic measures in the coming time to improve air quality, bringing back clean air to the capital.
Ambassador Olivier Brochet expressed his hope that in the coming time, Hanoi will continue to develop so that the people of the capital not only see this as a charming and livable city, but also have a very rich and diverse cultural life. In addition, he also hopes that Hanoi can promote and spread the city's culture more strongly internationally.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/dai-su-phap-phai-long-ha-noi-va-ao-dai-viet-nam.html
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs Government Conference with localities on economic growth](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/2/21/f34583484f2643a2a2b72168a0d64baa)
Comment (0)