Today, I have a great honor to welcome you all to the International Convention Center to celebrate the International Francophonie Day - 20 March. At the outset, I would like to extend to you all my warmest congratulations.

On 20 March 1970, the Francophonie Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, forerunner of today's Inter-governmental Francophonie Agency, was established in Niamey (Niger) officially marking the inception of the Francophonie Community. Since then, the Community has gone through 35 years of development with the guiding principle that all French speaking member countries will make efforts to gradually expand cooperation to respond to global challenges. On the basis of unity, dialogue and cooperation and responsive to the needs of member countries as well as the trend of the time, the Francophonie community has turned itself from a closed cultural and technical cooperation framework into a political organization to embrace 63 countries, including 10 observers. The organization has grown to cover all cultural, educational, political and economic fields. As a result of globalization, developing countries face more challenges than opportunities. It is the policy of the Francophone Community to build a "humanism of differences" saying that unity does not mean eradication of diversity, dialogue doe not mean imposition. This should be respected and promoted. In that context, our gathering here is not only to celebrate the Anniversary of the establishment of the Francophone Community but also to convey our message of unity, dialogue, and respect for diversity and cooperation for the Community's development.

Viet Nam's commitments to the Francophone Community are consistent. And, Viet Nam has made efforts to become an active, responsible and member of the community with constructive contributions to the organization's development in the right direction. This is vividly demonstrated by the successful hosting of the Seventh Summit Meeting of the Francophone Community in Hanoi in November 1997. This marked a step forward in the strengthening of the community's institutions. Viet Nam had made enormous efforts to accomplish its tasks in the capacity as the Presidency of the Summit and Francophone Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 1998-1999. In 2005, Viet Nam will focus its activities to promote the work of the Francophone Community in the two directions as follows:

- First, the Strategic Framework for 10 year, comprising of four major tasks including the promotion of French, cultural and linguistic diversity as well as peace, democracy and human rights and education and training, higher education as well as research and development for cooperation for sustainable development and solidarity was adopted at the 10^th Summit of the Francophone Community in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso last November. This 10-year framework will make a fundamental change to the multi-lateral cooperation in Francophone Community and lay a foundation for cooperation agencies of the community to draft its 4-year cooperation program within this year. In that context, Viet Nam will work closely with other member countries to formulate a balanced 4-year cooperation program, which will commence in 2006, with four major tasks as defined in the 10 year Strategic Framework, and at the same time pay due attention to the promotion of cooperation for sustainable development and solidarity.

- Second, Viet Nam will continue to create favorable conditions to maintain and develop Francophone environment in Viet Nam by further promoting the French teaching programmes like "bilingual classes at school", "Francophone Faculties" or "French, second foreign language" as well as to increase cultural and art exchanges and other Francophone activities in Viet Nam.

To fulfill its commitments, in addition to its own efforts, Viet Nam hopes to receive support and assistance of the Francophone Community. With that, on behalf of the Government and people of Viet Nam, I would like to express my high appreciation to the close cooperation, practical and effective assistance accorded to Viet Nam by bilateral and multi-lateral partners in the Francophone Community during the last years and wish that the cooperation between the two sides will be record greater successes.

Thank you.