(VOVworld) – The ongoing state visit to Vietnam by French President Francois Hollande was covered by various French media outlets on Tuesday.

French President Francois Hollande took a stroll in the Old Quarter in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Their articles affirmed that the visit aimed to boost economic and trade ties between Vietnam and France. French daily Le Monde (“The World”) published an article saying several important economic contracts had been signed during the visit, the first by a French President since former President Jacques Chirac’s trip to the country in 2004. The article said upon his arrival in Hanoi, on Tuesday, President Hollande and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang witnessed the signing of two contracts and a memorandum of understanding between Airbus and Vietnamese airlines. The article noted that with a growth rate of 6.7% in 2015, Vietnam had one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia. French exports to Vietnam reached 1.4 billion USD last year, an increase of 85.3% against 764 million USD recorded in the previous year.

An article in the Le Point newspaper said that Hollande’s visit aimed to promote France’s cooperation with Vietnam in particular and Southeast Asia in general. An article in the Les Echos newspaper said Hanoi had become a preferred destination for foreign investors. Vietnam has become an export hub for many global multinational groups, especially in garments, textiles, and electronics. The article said that France ranked seventeenth among suppliers of commodities to Vietnam.