Hanoi (VNA) – The upgrade of Vietnam-France ties to a Comprehensive strategic partnership is a testament to the two countries' rich history and shared vision for a stronger future, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet told the press.
France treasures Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's visit
Brochet praised General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President To Lam's attendance at the 19th Francophonie Summit and his official France visit as a very successful and important trip as he was also the only leader to pay a visit to France on the sidelines of the summit.
France treasured the visit, the first by a Vietnamese head of state in 22 years, reflected by an official welcome ceremony, a press conference, and talks chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron.
What impressed the ambassador was the mutual trust and a shared vision for a brighter future of cooperation. This solid foundation paved the way for the upgrade of the bilateral ties, with both leaders directing their foreign ministries to develop an action plan aimed at making their partnership more intensive and practical.
With the establishment of the Comprehensive strategic partnership, France has become the first European country to set up such a relationship with Vietnam, reflecting its recognition of Vietnam's pivotal role in promoting global peace and stability. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, France acknowledged Vietnam's contributions to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.
The top leaders of the two countries affirmed the central role of ASEAN, with France expressing its readiness to enhance cooperation with Vietnam and ASEAN to contribute to maintaining peace and cooperation in the region and beyond. The French side hoped that Vietnam will further uphold its role in ensuring peace and stability around the world.
According to the diplomat, France highly appreciated Vietnam's stance on ending violence, de-escalating tensions, and promoting peaceful settlement of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East in line with international law. The two countries share a common vision on pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity, artificial intelligence, and the development of the Francophonie movement.
Opening up greater opportunities for all-around cooperation
Brochet outlined several priority sectors for future cooperation, including national defence-security, transport, energy, innovation and student exchange, adding that France not only hopes for financial growth in its cooperation with Vietnam but also wishes that the partnership would encompass personnel training and technology transfer.
In transport, he expressed France’s interest in supporting Vietnam in developing its railway and seaport systems, and aviation capabilities.
In the energy sector, the ambassador noted that France highly appreciated Vietnam's strong commitment and determination toward carbon neutrality, with the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
France possesses a wealth of technology and many large enterprises which are ready to partner with Vietnam in its sustainable development journey, he said, hoping that the recently-established Comprehensive strategic partnership will enable French companies to have a stronger presence and engage more actively in cooperation with Vietnam in this field.
After over 30 years of collaboration in health care, France hopes to see significant breakthroughs to meet Vietnam's evolving healthcare needs, he said.
Regarding agriculture, the ambassador said France shared Vietnam's desire to facilitate technology transfer to develop an ecological agricultural sector and enhance the value of agricultural products./.
