At the start of the meeting, Deputy Director Nguyen Hong Minh welcomed Magali Censier to the Viet Nam Sports Authority. Despite having only recently assumed her role, Ms. Censier demonstrated a keen interest in the sports sector and shared several insightful perspectives. The Deputy Director noted that the cooperation between Vietnam and France has been highly effective, providing a solid foundation for both sides to draft a new cooperation agreement aimed at elevating bilateral relations in the coming period.
Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Sports Authority Nguyen Hong Minh met with Magali Censier at the Authority’s headquarter
Speaking at the meeting, Magali Censier expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome from the leadership of the Viet Nam Sports Authority. In her new capacity, she expressed her commitment to building upon the achievements established by her predecessor in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Nam Sports Authority, while continuing to foster and promote cooperative activities between the two sides. Ms. Magali Censier expressed her pleasure at the practical activities already implemented between Vietnam and France. She also indicated a keen interest in hearing the perspectives and strategic direction of the Viet Nam Sports Authority regarding future cooperation priorities, ensuring that the necessary preparations can be made as thoroughly as possible.
Ms. Magali Censier provided detailed insights into the proposed cooperation agreement in the sports sector, aiming to ensure the Viet Nam Sports Authority fully understands the underlying objectives and can implement them effectively. To facilitate a smooth and efficient preparatory process, she suggested holding a series of online meetings, allowing both sides to discuss the relevant content in depth and clearly define their respective interests and strengths. Furthermore, she proposed exploring Vietnam’s specific needs regarding training, education, the exchange of experts and management personnel, and sports science. She also requested the Viet Nam Sports Authority’s support for several upcoming events organized by the French Embassy. Regarding the Francophone community, she noted that a "Francophone Run" is held every March and expressed a hope for greater participation from Viet Nam Sports Authority representatives in the 2027 edition of the event.
Ms. Magali Censier, Attaché for Educational Cooperation at the French Embassy in Vietnam, during the meeting on the morning of October 27
Discussing the draft cooperation agreement, Deputy Director General Nguyen Hong Minh stated that the relevant management bodies from both sides have already held specific discussions on the matter. Given France’s significant potential and strengths, the Vietnamese side—with the enthusiastic support of Ms. Magali Censier and the French Embassy—hopes to accelerate the progress of the draft agreement, aiming for its formal signing at the earliest possible opportunity. The leadership of the Authority fully supports the proposal to hold online meetings, allowing the involved parties to discuss and reach a consensus on the terms of the draft agreement.
Regarding professional cooperation, in addition to existing, highly successful programs, Deputy Director General Nguyen Hong Minh proposed expanding collaboration into areas such as youth sports development and school-based sports. Specifically, the Authority’s leadership expressed a desire to include long-term training and development opportunities for Vietnamese athletes in France. Such long-term training programs would not only help elevate the athletes' elite-level professional skills but also enable them to improve their foreign language proficiency.
The Vietnam Sports Administration and the French Embassy promote comprehensive cooperation, moving toward the signing of a new agreement
At the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Director General Nguyen Hong Minh agreed in principle to the proposal for Vietnamese athletes to participate in activities suggested by the French Embassy. To ensure that the initiatives are implemented on schedule and effectively, he requested that the French Embassy provide a detailed activity plan for 2027 as soon as possible. Furthermore, he designated the Authority’s International Cooperation division to serve as the primary point of contact for overseeing and coordinating the immediate execution of the agreed-upon terms.
Ha Phuong