New chapter open for Vietnam-France relationship

Vietnam and France have agreed to chart a new course for the bilateral relationship during the talks between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and France’s President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on March 27.
New chapter open for Vietnam-France relationship ảnh 1Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the French Development Agency (AFD). (Source: VNA)
Paris (VNA) – Vietnam and Francehave agreed to chart a new course for the bilateral relationship during thetalks between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) CentralCommittee Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris onMarch 27.

The leaders told the press following theirtalks that they also consented to enhance mutual political trust, step upstrategic cooperation and create marked changes to improve the efficiency ofbilateral cooperation across fields in order to deepen the strategicpartnership between the two countries.

The two countries will intensify high-levelexchanges and meetings, and raise the efficiency of cooperation and dialoguemechanisms, expand and strengthen collaboration in all spheres, and at alllevels, while closely coordinating with each other on regional andinternational issues of shared concern.

They will continue to create the bestpossible conditions for businesses and investors of both sides to scale uptheir operation in the respective countries, especially in the areas ofFrance’s strength and Vietnam’s demands, aiming to make the economic links onpar with their fruitful political ties.

Party General Secretary Trong said enhancingthe Vietnam-France relationship matches the demand and interest of the twocountries’ people, noting that Vietnam and France are the important partner ofeach other.

Highlighting the close-knit relationsbetween the two countries although they are in different continents, the leadersaid the relationship has developed fruitfully over the past 45 years.

The establishment of the strategicpartnership five years ago has opened up new opportunities for the twocountries to elevate the bilateral ties to a new height, he added.

He called on the French side to keep doorsopen for Vietnamese goods and French businesses to increase their investment inVietnam.

Co-chairing the press conference, PresidentMacron thanked Party General Secretary Trong for selecting France as the firstEuropean nation to visit during his second term in office.

Stressing Vietnam’s important position inthe region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), thePresident said Vietnam will be a friend who helps France increase its presencein the region.

The leader expressed his hope for strongercooperation with Vietnam in all spheres, ranging from politics, economy, tradeand investment to culture, education, tourism, science and climate change, urgingthe two countries to intensify the exchange, experience sharing and cooperationbetween their legislative bodies, and place young generations at the centre ofthe bilateral ties.

Macron said he hopes that with cooperationdocuments signed during Party General Secretary Trong’s visit, the bilateralrelationship will make great strides in the time to come.

Following their talks, the leaders witnessedthe signing of a number of cooperation agreement, including a statement oncooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training and the FrenchMinistry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and a letter of intention on tourismcooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism andthe French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Other documents are a memorandum ofunderstanding (MoU) between the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironment and the French Development Agency (AFD), another MoU betweenVietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment and the AFD, and a cooperationprogramme between the two justice ministries for 2018-2019.

Another MoU was also signed by Vietnam’sT&T Group and Bouygues Group of France on cooperation in investment in the 1.4billion EUR (1.7 billion USD) urban railway project No. 3 connecting Hanoi’scentre with it suburb town of Son Tay.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Minister ofIndustry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh also handed an investment licence to Son My 1thermal power plant of France’s EDF Group.-VNA
VNA

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