Briefing the association’s major activities to support Vietnamese people during their past struggle for national liberation as well as the present national construction, Jean Pierre Archambault, who is also editor-in-chief of Perspectives France-Vietnam magazine, stressed that since its establisment in 1961, friendship with Vietnam has always been the guiding principle in all AAFV activities.
General Secretary of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association Jean Pierre Archambault in an interview with a Vietnam News Agency reporter. (Source: NDO)
During the war years, it was solidarity with the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national independence and freedom. After the victory of 1975, it was the support for the rebuilding of a devastated country, in the context of the embargo of U.S. and Western countries. After the United States lifted the embargo in 1994, the association has contributed to developing relations between Vietnam and France and other countries around the world.
The association has closely coordinated with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, supported war victims, especially those affected by Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin, he said, adding that it has accompanied Vietnamese-French Tran To Nga in the lawsuit against 26 U.S. chemical firms for producing chemical toxins sprayed by the U.S. army during the war in Vietnam in the 1960-1970 period.
In addition, AAFV has cooperated with Vietnamese associations in France, France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group. Besides, AAFV has raised voice to help Vietnam protect its sovereignty and sovereign right in the East Sea. In the combat against climate change, AAFV has always expressed its solidarity with Vietnam, one of the countries most affected by global warming and sea level rise.
He affirmed that bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects between Vietnam and AAFV form an important content of the association’s action plan. Apart from participating in conferences relating to health issues in Vietnam, AAFV has participated in decentralised cooperation meetings between France and Vietnam, held several meetings with the theme of cooperation with Vietnam at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse.
AAFV will attend the French-Vietnamese Health Federation Conference, scheduled for June 15 in Paris, as well as the Symposium of the French Association for AO and Endocrine Disorders on May 24-25 in Montpellier, with the theme "History of chemical warfare, endocrine disorders, Agent Orange and associations."
An exhibition and seminar on East Sea in France. (Source: VNA)
On the economic front, despite the fact that France and Vietnam have been strategic partners for the past five years, the partnership has not been as desirable. French investment capital into Vietnam at the moment is modest. The AAFV has closely cooperated with many French companies and the Vietnamese businesspersons’ association in France to enhance economic ties between the two countries.
Addressing the friendship between the two peoples, Jean-Pierre Archambault said one of the association’s tasks is helping French people understand more about Vietnam, as well as its history, civilisation, achievements in all areas and challenges to address.
To that end, AAFV has organised a range of seminars, film screenings and exhibitions, and run Perspectives France-Vietnam magazine in order to popularise the bilateral relationship.
Recently, the association has launched an award for research studies on Vietnam by young French people. Some impressive works included "City in Vietnamese Contemporary Art" by Julie Capuano, student of the Paris-Sorbonne University; "Ham Nghi (1871-1944) Emperor in exile, artist in Algiers" by Amandine Dabat, lecturer at the University of Social Sciences; "How is the river building landscapes and urban design of a Vietnamese city: the example of Hoi An" by Marion Reinosa, a student at the Toulouse National School of Architecture.
In the coming time, AAFV plans to encourage partners to participate in the organisation of the Day of friendship and solidarity associations with Vietnam for the third time in 2019./.
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