Vietnam, France to combat counterfeit goods together HANOI - Vietnam and France will join forces to fight fake goods under an agreement signed between between the Ministry of Trade (MoT) and the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoAF) on Tuesday. The agreement intends to raise the value of high-quality traditional products in the market while protecting the interests of customers and traditional industries. Le The Bao, head of the Market Department under the Ministry of Trade said it will also help better control the imported wine market. According to the agreement, France will fund a training course on legal procedures, formalities and processes involved in implementing the AC (Appellations Controlee or certification of authenticity) system, and provide AC-related information to officials from government agencies, organisations and enterprises. The training course, which will be co-organised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the MoT, and the MoAF, will take place in Hanoi towards the end of this year. The Bureau Cognac National Intersector Office (BNIC) will also co-operate with Vietnamese partners in organise a training course on inspecting trade activities and combating trade fraud. A course on identifying European wines will be held in Vietnam later this month. Four or five Vietnamese experts will be sent to France for a training course on French and European analysing techniques and using specific equipment. A group of Vietnamese officials will also go to France and other countries in Europe to improve their knowledge of AC systems and geographical indexes in preparation for the introduction of the system in Vietnam. The latest agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed by Vietnam and France in 1998 on fighting fake agricultural goods and processed food. Vietnam News Agency - March 17, 2000.