On the afternoon of October 4 (local time), at Villers-Cotterets 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, 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.
Secretary General of the Francophone Louise Mushikiwabo affirmed that the Francophone community, with members from many continents, has been increasingly maturing, actively contributing to common efforts to promote cooperation, dialogue, strengthen peace and respond to global challenges.
On the same day, General Secretary and President To Lam attended the Reception of French President Emmanuel Macron; spoke at the Franco-speaking Business Forum on Innovation and Creativity (Franco Tech); and witnessed the signing ceremony of the 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 also had meetings and discussions with senior leaders of many countries and international organizations to promote bilateral and multilateral diplomatic, political, economic, and trade cooperation.
According to VNA, at Villers-Cotterets Castle, France, on the afternoon of October 4, General Secretary and President To Lam had a brief meeting with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Madagascar President Andry Nirina Rajoelina and Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo.
At the meeting with the President of Guinea-Bissau, General Secretary and President To Lam once again affirmed that the official visit to Vietnam by the President of Guinea-Bissau from September 5-8 has created a new momentum for the Vietnam-Guinea-Bissau relationship. The General Secretary and President emphasized that he has directed relevant ministries, sectors and agencies of Vietnam to closely coordinate with Guinea-Bissau's partner agencies to effectively implement the results of the visit.
During the meeting, General Secretary and President To Lam and President of Madagascar Andry Nirina Rajoelina expressed their determination to strengthen bilateral relations at all levels, channels and in all fields, especially high-level delegation exchanges and cooperation in agriculture. The President of Madagascar proposed that the two sides explore opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, especially rice production cooperation with Vietnam.
At the meeting, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo and General Secretary and President To Lam highly appreciated the positive results achieved in the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Ghana in recent times, especially in the economic field; agreed to step up the implementation of many practical measures to effectively exploit the potential and strengths of each side.
