Francophone tone: A concert held by the French jazz band Fabien Mary will be the first cultural event of France Year when it takes place on April 23-24 in Viet Nam. — Photo fabienmary.com

HA NOI (VNS)— The official Viet Nam-France Year will be launched on April 9th, and the two countries will celebrate their long and eventful relationship by organising a wide range of public activities shedding light on their shared history, heritage and traditions.

Viet Nam will host France Year until the end of 2013 and France will hold Viet Nam Year during the first half of 2014.

The event marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The France Year in Viet Nam, which is expected to see the participation of French Minister of Foreign Trade Nicole Bricq, will include up to 100 events nationwide relating to culture, the economy, science and education.

Major concerts, photo exhibitions and film festivals will be organised in Ha Noi, HCM City, Hue and Da Lat.

Some of the most anticipated events scheduled include a jazz concert by the band Fabien Mary, a performance of the contemporary dance Tiger Tiger, Burning Bright in June by the acclaimed group Kubilai Khan Investigations and a French film festival from October 3 to December 15.

France Year in Viet Nam will end with a grandiose laser light show in December in front of the Reunification Palace in HCM City.

At the press conference on Tuesday announcing the launch, French ambassador to Viet Nam Jean-Noel Poirier declared that relations between the two nations are built on trust and friendship, and he predicted that the upcoming celebrations will open a new chapter in bilateral ties.

"We hope that the events will help the two countries to further discover the most innovative contemporary elements of the other. They will help promote exchanges in the fields of culture, economics, politics, education, science and sports," he said.

Viet Nam's Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has previously stated that he hopes the Viet Nam-France relationship can be upgraded to strategic partnership level soon for the mutual benefit of the two friends. — VNS