At the celebration of the International Francophonie Day on March 20 (Photo: VNA)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a ceremony in Hanoi on March 20 to mark the International Francophonie Day, honouring the French language and the Francophonie community’s shared values of coexistence, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
Speaking at the event, which brought together Vietnamese officials and international representatives, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet praised this year’s theme “I educate myself, therefore I act” while emphasising that education remains a top priority in fostering a developing and prosperous Francophonie community.
He highlighted Vietnam's commitment to lifelong learning through concrete policies promoting quality, equitable, and sustainable education. As part of this commitment, Vietnam has eliminated public school tuition fees starting in the 2025-2026 academic year and continues to invest in improving education quality to secure human resources for the country's new development phase.
The diplomat acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), the Francophone University Agency (AUF), diplomatic missions, international organisations, businesses, universities, and individuals in contributing to Vietnam's educational development, particularly in teaching French.
Meanwhile, Chief Representative of the Asia-Pacific Office of the OIF Edgar Doerig said March 20 has become a symbolic occasion celebrating the diversity of the French language, which is spoken by 321 million people across the five continents. He commended Vietnam’s commitment to the Francophonie, notably demonstrated by Party General Secretary To Lam’s attendance at the 19th Francophonie Summit in France in October last year.
He also expressed his delight over the upcoming 20th summit to be held in Cambodia in 2026, marking the second time the event will take place in the region following the historic 7th edition in Hanoi in 1997. He said he believes that this presents an excellent opportunity for the French language to shine again in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
At the ceremony, the Group of Francophonie Embassies, Delegations and Institutions in Hanoi (GADIF) presented its annual honourary award to Dinh Hong Van, a lecturer from the Faculty of French Language and Culture at the University of Languages and International Studies under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and President of the French Teachers' Association in Hanoi.
The GADIF award recognises outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting the French language and Francophonie cooperation in Vietnam./.
