Vietnam seeks to boost strategic partnership with France: PM

Vietnam looks forward to welcoming France’s leaders to come to the country and discussing measures to soon take the current strategic partnership to new heights.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and French Ambassador Olivier Brochet. Photo: Nhat Bac

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared this view during a meeting with French newly appointed Ambassador Olivier Brochet on April 4.

Chinh emphasized that Vietnam and France share a deep-rooted, multifaceted relationship encompassing historical, political, economic, cultural, and human aspects. He reaffirmed that Vietnam regards r France as a crucial partner in its foreign policy.

Through the Ambassador, the Prime Minister conveyed the greetings and invitation of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to President Emmanuel Macron to visit Vietnam. At the same time, he expressed his wish to welcome French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to Vietnam for further discussions aimed at advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

On this occasion, he expressed confidence that Ambassador Olivier Brochet, with his vast diplomatic experience, would make significant contributions to taking the strategic partnership to new heights. He assured that relevant Vietnamese agencies would provide the best possible conditions for the Ambassador to carry out his mission successfully.

The Prime Minister called on the two sides to continue promoting exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits, and to implement the outcomes of the high-level teleconference between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Emmanuel Macron in October 2023, as well as the inter-sectoral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries.

He highly appreciated France's role, voice, and initiatives in international and regional forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN-EU, and the  Francophonie, and reaffirmed Vietnam's willingness to work closely with France to address global challenges.

Chinh also urged both countries to fully and effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and expressed hope for France's early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He encouraged French businesses to strengthen cooperation and investment in high-tech, digital transformation, green conversion, and pharmaceuticals, and to actively seek new economic cooperation areas in line with the interests of both sides. He also asked for France's support in promptly removing the "yellow card" on Vietnamese seafood exports.

The Prime Minister hoped that France would increase scholarships for Vietnamese students and continue to support and create favorable business and study conditions for the Vietnamese community in France, thereby strengthening its role as an economic and cultural bridge between the two countries.

For his part, Ambassador Olivier Brochet stressed that President Emmanuel Macron still has a profound impression of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to France in 2021. Paying tribute to the friendship and trust between Vietnam and France,  he reiterated  France's high esteem for Vietnam's position and role and its desire to further develop the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in implementing the three pillars of cooperation outlined in the high-level telephone conversation between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Emmanuel Macron.

The French Ambassador also announced that the French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, along with the Secretary of State for Veterans and Remembrance Patricia Miralles responsible for veterans and war memories, will visit Vietnam to attend the 70th anniversary celebration of the Dien Bien Phu Victory in May, in the spirit of "closing the past, looking towards the future" and cooperating for the development of both nations.

Ambassador Olivier Brochet reiterated France's support for ASEAN's and Vietnam's positions on ensuring security, safety, freedom of air traffic and navigation in the South China Sea, and resolving disputes through peaceful means based on international law, including UNCLOS 1982.