Hanoi (VNA) - Marking the OIF’s 50th founding anniversary, Le Cou༒rrier du Vietnam, a weekly French-language newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) held a seminar on intensifying communications on cooperation opportunities in the Francophone community in Hanoi on Dec🙈ember 3.

Supported by the OIF’s Asia-Pacific Office, the event gave insights into the community as well as Vietnam’s role, position and growth potential as a member.

Increasing Francophone communications

Speakers at the seminar included representatives from the OIF, its Asia-Pacific Office, the Francophone University Agency (AUF), Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Lyon-based French Language and Culture Institute. Presentations at the seminar focused on a host of issues such as the development history of the Francophone community, French training programmes, economic cooperation in the community, the community and French language in Vietnam’s external relations policy, OIF activities in the field of journalism. In addition, participants also talked about orientations for accessing Francophone information and related cooperation among media agencies. In his opening remarks, VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh said that the seminar aims at honouring countries, territories and organisations which use French language, and introducing to the press the role and operations of the OIF as well as Vietnam’s participation as a full and responsible member. It also contributed to strengthening solidarity of Francophone partners in Vietnam, and affirming the dynamism of French-language units of the VNA, especially Le Courrier du Vietnam, as well as the role of the OIF Asia-Pacific Office in increasing the position and prestige in Vietnam and the region, Minh stated. He affirmed the VNA’s support for Francophone development in Vietnam, adding that the agency now has the largest number of French-language journalists and publications in Vietnam, that have played a bridging role connecting Vietnam and the Francophone community. Besides Le Courrier du Vietnam, which is Vietnam’s only French-language weekly, the State-run VNA also publishes a French version of its e-newspaper VietnamPlus and the magazine Vietnam Pictorial, a French bulletin along with a French-language programme on its V-News TV channel. Cheskou Oussouman, Chief Representative of the OIF Asia-Pacific Office, said the OIF, set up in 1970, now has 88 member countries, including 27 observers across all continents over the world. With 1.2 billion people, the Francophone community accounts for 16 percent of the world's population and 16.5 percent of the total assets generated globally. Vietnam has made a lot of initiatives to boost cooperation and dialogues among member states since joining the OIF in 1970. There are some 600,000 French-speaking people in the nation. Oussouman affirmed the OIF is pursuing a goal of building a solidarity community based on the principles of democratic humanism and the respect for cultural and linguistic diversity.

Better development chances for Vietnam thanks to position in the Francophone community

French is one of the most widely used languages across the globe. Currently, the OIF is developing itself into a diverse space, laying the basis for Vietnam to have more opportunities for growth and integration. Oussouman said the organisation is implementing programmes to assist writers, filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and art creators to disseminate their works worldwide, reaching international audiences. Dinh Toan Thang, Vietnamese Ambassador to the OIF, said Vietnam considers the French-speaking community as an important forum to implement its policy for the diversification and multilateralisation of international relations and proactive global integration. The diplomat unveiled that in the coming time, Vietnam will pay attention to promoting tripartite cooperation projects with African countries in the fields of agriculture, health, telecommunications, and infrastructure. Specifically, Vietnam will boost the export of cassava and raw cashew nuts to some African countries, ha said. According to him, French-speaking countries in Africa are Vietnam’s important partners and the country has so far exported rice, household appliances, steel and garment-textile products to Senegal, Ghana, Togo and Benin. The ambassador also emphasised that the country needs a more solid and comprehensive French education to facilitate integration and cooperation./.