French Prime Minister Jean Marc Ayrautl has led the September 6 ribbon cutting ceremony opening the Vietnamese pavilion at Strasbourg’s 2013 European Fair. Vietnamese Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung expressed Vietnam’s honour at being welcomed as the fair’s special guest, citing it as demonstration of the close connection and shared trust between Vietnam and France. The Ambassador summarised the Vietnamese pavilion’s plans for the 11-day event. He described the vision it would present of a culturally diverse Vietnam successfully combining respect for tradition with modern development. In an interview with a VOV reporter in France, Ambassador Dung stressed the significance of the French PM’s visit to the 400sq.m pavilion. He noted France’s renewed diplomatic emphasis on Asia’s emerging nations. PM Ayrautl foreshadowed his Vietnamese counterpart’s upcoming French visit and said the agreement elevating the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership is a milestone in the history of both nations. European Fair General Director Claude Feurer told VOV reporters the choice of Vietnam as guest of honour commemorates 40 years of French-Vietnamese diplomatic ties. Vietnamese businesses have been offered a rare and potentially lucrative opportunity to showcase Vietnamese goods before the eyes of French and European consumers. VOV