30 years of establishment and development of the only French newspaper in Vietnam

On September 5, Le Courrier du Vietnam (Vietnam News Agency) - the only French-language newspaper in Vietnam, held a ceremony to celebrate its 30th anniversary (September 5, 1993 - September 5, 2023) and received a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister.

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Le Quoc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, President of the Vietnam Journalists Association; Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association; Ms. Vu Viet Trang, General Director, President of the Vietnam News Agency Journalists Association; generations of cadres, reporters, and editors of Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper.

Dấu ấn 30 năm thành lập và phát triển của tờ báo tiếng Pháp duy nhất tại Việt Nam

Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper received a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister. (Photo: Mai Lien)

On the side of international guests, there were Mr. Edgar Doerig, Chief Representative of the International Organization of La Francophonie - Asia-Pacific Region; Mr. Shawn Stell, Ambassador of Canada, President of the Group of Francophone Embassies, Delegations and Organizations (GADIF) in Vietnam; Ms. Cristina Romila, Ambassador of Romania to Vietnam; Mr. Pierre Du Ville, Chief Representative of the Government of the French-speaking Belgian community in Vietnam, and representatives of embassies and diplomatic agencies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Vu Viet Trang, Party Secretary and General Director of VNA, highly appreciated the efforts of generations of reporters, editors, technicians and staff of Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper who have always been enthusiastic, responsible, quick, and grasped modern journalism trends.

The General Director of VNA pointed out that on September 15, 1945, the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was broadcast by VNA in three languages, including French, marking an important milestone, marking the birth of the official news agency of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 78 years ago. This also shows the importance of information in French in the system of VNA's information products.

For nearly eight decades, foreign information in French has always played an effective role as a bridge between Vietnam and the Francophone community around the world.

Ms. Vu Viet Trang said that Le Courrier du Vietnam 's information products attract a large number of French-speaking readers both at home and abroad. The number of readers from more than 160 countries accessing the electronic newspaper lecourrier.vn shows that the newspaper has been making efforts to bring information and images of a renewed Vietnam to friends around the world," Ms. Vu Viet Trang stated.

Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper awarded Commemorative Medals to representatives of agencies and organizations. (Photo: Mai Lien)

Besides information activities, Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper is also a very dynamic and active unit in international cooperation activities, contributing to improving modern journalism skills for reporters and editors in the industry as well as spreading love for the French language.

Ms. Vu Viet Trang expressed her special thanks for the effective assistance and close cooperation with the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation, the embassies, delegations and French-speaking diplomatic agencies in Hanoi for Le Courrier du Vietnam newspaper in particular and VNA in general over the past years.

In the coming period, VNA hopes to continue receiving support from embassies, delegations and French-speaking diplomatic agencies so that Le Courrier du Vietnam can continuously develop.

At the ceremony, Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Hong Nga also said that over the past 30 years, the editorial board has promoted the strength of collective solidarity and its role as the only French-language newspaper in Vietnam to create a solid position in the national foreign press and Francophone press.

The newspaper became an important and prestigious foreign information channel of the country when Vietnam successfully hosted the 7th Francophone Summit in 1997. This was an international political and diplomatic event marking Vietnam's integration with the Francophone community in particular and the international community in general.

Foreign affairs and international cooperation have always been the strengths of the editorial office, especially in recent years. Le Courrier du Vietnam has increased cooperation with relevant organizations to organize many activities, including the annual competition “Young Francophone Reporters.”

In addition, the weekly newspaper Le Courrier du Vietnam is also present in all embassies, delegations, French-speaking organizations and schools that teach French in Vietnam as well as many French-speaking countries around the world.

In the coming time, under the direct guidance of the VNA leadership, Le Courrier du Vietnam will continue to improve the quantity and quality of information, produce multimedia information products following the development trend of modern journalism, and enhance the role, position and prestige of the only French-language newspaper in Vietnam in the international Francophone press community.

Delegates attending the ceremony took a souvenir photo. (Source: Organizing Committee)

Exactly three decades ago, VNA officially published the first issue of the French-language newspaper Le Courrier du Vietnam with the desire to provide information about Vietnam directly to the French-speaking foreign and Vietnamese communities.

From a 4-page black and white newspaper, Le Courrier du Vietnam has now become an important foreign information unit developing according to a multimedia model. The newspaper currently has 3 press products, including: Print newspaper, electronic newspaper and the program "French-speaking space" broadcast on VNews television channel of VNA .

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