The Committee for the Van Canh Friendship Village (CFV) in Essonne province, on the outskirts of Paris, staged a concert on March 13 to raise money for Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO) victims. Speaking at the opening of the concert, the mayor of the Paris 11th district underscored the importance of the event and thanked those in attendance for support of Vietnamese AO victims. Raphael Vahe, President of the French CFV in turn, emphasized that 40 years on generations of Vietnamese are still suffering from the aftermath of 80 million liters of chemical herbicides that were sprayed during the US war. All of the proceeds collected will be used to benefit Agent Orange victims she said adding that specifically VND3.9 billion would be used to fund the cost of building a swimming pool to provide therapeutic treatment for war veterans and AO victims. For his part, Vietnam Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Son emphasized the importance of supporting AO victims. He affirmed that French friends’ activities have not only helped improve AO victims’ living conditions but have also served to encourage them to overcome difficulties in their daily lives. Vietnamese pianist Can Vu Ngoc and French flutist Isabelle Hureau brought down the house with brilliant performances at the event. (http://english.vov.vn/ [1] Mar 14)
