France is the only country with which Vietnam shares a mechanism of periodic and rotating conferences on localities’ cooperation. So far, a total of 18 Vietnamese and 38 French localities have engaged in 240 joint projects across various fields. The event is expected to create a new impetus for the relationship between the two countries. The conference has been held every two or three years since 1996, with Vietnamese and French localities taking turns to host the event. On the sidelines, there is a French festival, a Vietnam-France economic forum, an art programme, and many exhibitions, which put the bilateral ties in the limelight. On April 14 and 15, four panel discussions are scheduled to take place, considering the topics of sustainable urban areas; environment, water and water treatment; culture, heritage and tourism; and smart city and digitisation./.