The message was delivered by French economic leaders and businesses at the second session of the France-Vietnam Supreme Council for Economic Cooperation Development held in Paris on November 24.

A Paris-based VOV correspondent interviewed Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh, co-chairman of the session, about the important event.

Reporter: Could you tell us about the Vietnamese delegation’s activities and expectations at the meeting?

Deputy Minister Sinh: We carried out several activities, such as meeting with the French Development Agency (AFD) to discuss measures to attract investment into Vietnam and organizing a business forum to inform French investors about Vietnam’s current economic situation and business opportunities. We helped French partners gain a better understanding of Vietnam’s current policies and solutions to deal with impact of the global economic downturn.

During the meeting, we proposed measures to iron out snags in implementing key projects on electricity and infrastructure between the two countries.

Reporter: What do you think of bilateral cooperative relations in recent times?

Deputy Minister Sinh: France and Vietnam have focused on three key areas of development cooperation, investment, and trade. France ranks second in providing ODA for Vietnam.

The country is also placed 15^th out of 93 foreign investors in Vietnam with 336 projects worth US$3 billion. These projects are mainly in energy and infrastructure.

The two countries have seen constant rapid growth of bilateral trade value. It reached US$2 billion in 2010 and is expected to hit US$2.5 billion this year.

Reporter: What is France’s evaluation of investment opportunities in Vietnam?

Deputy Minister Sinh: All French business leaders that I met, especially the AFD Director General, affirmed that Vietnam is still a Number One destination to invest in Asia for the future.

The Chairman of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry also considered Vietnam its first priority venue for guiding French businesses to invest in ASEAN. French businesses see Vietnam as a gateway to other ASEAN countries in the region.

Reporter: Thank you very much.