Paris (VNA) – The French Business Association President Frederic Sanchez says Vietnam is a large, potential market that provides a door to the ASEAN market that suits French businesses’ capabilities.

He made the remark at the Vietnam-France Business Forum on June 25 in the presence of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, who is on a three-day visit to France .

Addressing the forum, Chairman Trong said Vietnamese leaders want to further develop the economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

He also said he expects the forum will facilitate discussions between the two countries’ businesses on how to make their existing cooperation more effective and create new opportunities for cooperation.

According to the Vietnamese NA Chairman, the two countries now are enjoying numerous advantages for cooperation and their top leaders regularly exchange visits to discuss long-term cooperation towards a model partnership between a developing country and a developed one.

He stressed Vietnam places importance on the development of its bilateral and multilateral relations with France and is willing to serve as a bridge for France to enter the ASEAN market.

He also said he hoped France will help Vietnam broaden its comprehensive cooperation with the European Union.

Currently, Vietnam and France have a close cooperation within the framework of the cooperation between Francophone countries. Additionally, 52 French localities have set up their relations with 54 Vietnamese localities.

On the same day, Chairman Trong received representatives from several big French groups which have investment projects in Vietnam .

Meeting with the France-Vietnam Parliamentarians’ Friendship Group, he said the visit aimed to intensify the relations between the two countries, including their legislative agencies.

In his meeting with the ruling Union for Popular Movement (UMP) party’s leaders, Chairman Trong said Vietnam considered France one of top important partners in Europe and wished to develop its economic, trade and investment cooperation with France.

UMP leaders agreed that the two countries’ relations have made progresses over recent years but have not matched their potential.

The UMP wanted to boost the relations between the two nations, two legislative agencies and the two ruling parties, as well as to enhance the coordination of the two countries in the Francophone community, thus leading to the development of their economic relations.

NA Chairman Trong also had a meeting with the Vietnamese Embassy’s staff and Vietnamese people living and working in France .

Chairman Trong and his entourage also laid a floral wreath on the President Ho Chi Minh Monument and visited the Ho Chi Minh Space in the Montreil Historic Museum.