Chief Executive Carrie Lam today met the National Assembly of France’s France-China Friendship Group President Buon Huong Tan, National Assembly Vice Presidents Carole Bureau-Bonnard and Hugues Renson, and three other assembly members at Government House.

Mrs Lam welcomed their visit to Hong Kong to learn about the city's latest developments after she invited them during her trip to France last June.

Describing her visit to France last year as a great success, Mrs Lam said she called on the French Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and people from different sectors to highlight Hong Kong's advantages and development opportunities, thus laying the foundation for further collaboration between Hong Kong and France.

She believed the visits and exchanges made in Hong Kong by members of the National Assembly would help strengthen ties between the two places and offer co-operation in further areas.

Noting one of the major events in her trip to France last year was attending the joint promotion seminar on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Mrs Lam said she was pleased to learn that people from the French political and business sectors had a strong interest in this key national development strategy.

She said Hong Kong will play a vital role, especially in leveraging its advantages to establish an international innovation and technology hub in the bay area.

Adding that France has some of the world's top universities and a solid foundation in scientific research, Mrs Lam said she hopes Hong Kong will continue to strengthen co-operation with France in I&T to jointly seize the huge opportunities presented by the bay area development.

She also said the city is striving to strengthen its role as a cultural hub and she looks forward to enhancing co-operation in culture and arts with France.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau and Consul General of France in Hong Kong & Macau Alexandre Giorgini also attended the meeting.