It was the first time the festival had been staged in Nice at this scale, combining cultural and art programming with activities for families and children.
Vietnam and France possess a special shared legacy and strong political ties. In a rapidly changing world, the two countries have common interests in building a stronger, more autonomous relationship with a vision towards the next 20 years, said former French Ambassador to Vietnam Serge Degallaix.
The materials include a reproduction of the front page of the August 24, 1945 issue of Cuu Quoc (National Salvation) Newspaper, its first publicly printed edition after previously being secretly circulated in handwritten form, featuring the Vietnamese national flag; and documents and reports on Nguyen Ai Quoc's activities related to the establishment and orientation of the Communist Party of Annam.
General Secretary and President Lam stressed that while the experts work in different fields, they all share a fundamental common view that Vietnam can achieve rapid, sustainable growth and greater self-reliance only by building robust scientific and technological capacity and fully pooling the brainpower of Vietnamese talents at home and abroad.
The presence of a head of state is particularly significant given the geographical istance involved and the leaders’ demanding schedules, said Adam, a former Commander of the French Space Command, told the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the upcoming official visit to France by General Secretary and President Lam.
In the next phase of ties, Vincent Boulet, the French Communist Party (PCF)’s foreign affairs head, said joint cultural and educational projects should be scaled to draw in younger generations, strengthening social bonds and laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Under Resolution No. 23, OV entrepreneurs can take on a bigger role by connecting businesses, promoting technology transfer, sharing management know-how, helping Vietnamese companies break into European markets, and linking French and Western European businesses and investors with Vietnam.
The programme included the opening of a thematic exhibition, the launch of the bilingual Vietnamese–French photo book on Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh and France, a ceremony to receive archival photographs donated by overseas Vietnamese families who welcomed the late Vietnamese leader during his 1946 visit to the European country, and an artistic performance dedicated to his life and legacy.
Lorient Mayor Fabrice Loher said the festival offers an opportunity for the public to discover the richness of Vietnamese culture while fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and stronger community ties through art and cultural activities.
In the context of the growing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and France, Hai said GCVF should position itself as a bridge for knowledge and technology transfer, bringing scientific and technological achievements from France and Europe to support Vietnam’s practical development needs.