Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Diệp, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, receives the delegation led by Etienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Hồ Chí Minh City. VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ – A delegation led by Etienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Hồ Chí Minh City, visited the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ on Tuesday to discuss enhancing cooperation in health care and education.

Ranaivoson highlighted Cần Thơ’s dynamic development in the Mekong Delta and expressed his wish to deepen ties with regional localities, especially Cần Thơ, prioritising collaboration in the two sectors.

Health care remains an area of long-standing cooperation, with more than 3,500 Vietnamese medical professionals having studied or worked in France, he noted, adding that the Consulate General will continue to serve as a bridge to expand cooperation.

In education, the diplomat said France will strengthen connections to bring more French-language teaching volunteers to Cần Thơ and create additional opportunities for local students to study and work in France.

Meanwhile, cooperation between Cần Thơ and the French cities of Nice and La Seyne-sur-Mer has produced practical outcomes in cultural, healthcare and educational ties, with further collaboration expected following the visit.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Diệp, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, expressed her hope for expanded volunteer exchanges and training programmes, noting that the city’s network of eight universities and over 80 vocational institutions offers strong potential for partnerships with French educational establishments.

She also called on Ranaivoson to help enhance the city's links with French businesses to support them to explore investment opportunities in industry, high-quality agricultural processing, eco-tourism and green growth. Cần Thơ pledged to support investment promotion and provide information to attract French investors.

Cần Thơ has been actively blostering international cooperation across various fields. It currently hosts one FDI project with registered capital of over US$78,100 and two ODA-funded projects.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have also been strengthened through initiatives such as community healthcare capacity-building projects, seminars on French-language education development, the French-language cultural exchange programme “Rencontre en Mars”, and French-language festivals for primary school students. VNA/VNS