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The French Development Agency (AFD) Group in Southeast Asia hosted the official visit of Marie-Hélène Loison, Deputy CEO of AFD, to Vietnam from May 14 to 19, 2024. Accompanied by Jean-Pierre Marcelli, AFD Regional Director for Southeast Asia, Raphaël De Guerre, Regional Director of PROPARCO, Paul Boulet Desbarreau, Regional Manager of Expertise France, and Hervé Conan, Country Director, this mission highlighted AFD's continued commitment to strengthening partnerships and promoting sustainable development in Vietnam.
The French Embassy played an active role throughout this visit, facilitating numerous meetings and exchanges. The visit allowed the delegation to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister at the Government Office, the Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, the Deputy Minister of Transport, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the management of EVN (Electricity of Vietnam), and key private sector and energy stakeholders. A meeting with major European partners was also organized, emphasizing the significant Team Europe marker in AFD Group's actions in Vietnam.
The meeting with the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) focused on advancements in green finance development, while discussions with the management of EVN centered on priority energy transition projects and opportunities for mobilizing the European Facility (with an implementation MoU signed on this occasion) to accelerate their realization in the Team Europe format, as currently seen in the flagship Bac Ai Pumped Storage Power Plant project (1200MW).
A discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Ha at the Government Office addressed overall development policies and initiatives supported by AFD. The visit concluded with exchanges with local teams from AFD and Expertise France (EF), further enhancing cohesion and collaboration on the ground.
Discussions with French energy companies highlighted the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition in Vietnam, underscoring the importance of Franco-Vietnamese cooperation in this strategic sector.
The delegation, accompanied by the French Ambassador to Vietnam, also dedicated a day to visit several field projects, organized by the Agency to celebrate AFD's 30th anniversary in Vietnam. This included a visit to the Vin Phuc Vocational Training School, showcasing AFD's efforts to support vocational training and education in Vietnam. The visit to the Northern Mountainous and High-Region Agro-Forestry Scientific Institute (NOMASFI) highlighted agronomic and scientific initiatives supported by AFD in collaboration with CIRAD, including tea plantation projects in Phu Tho province.
This visit strengthened the cooperative ties between France and Vietnam, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, energy, agriculture, and vocational training. The numerous fruitful meetings and exchanges will undoubtedly contribute to beneficial projects for both countries.
The visit was also marked by the AFD Group's Southeast Asia regional seminar, held in Hanoi from May 13 to 16, in which the Deputy CEO participated to share the Group's strategic directions and contribute to the development of major operational guidelines in Southeast Asia.