Paris (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 11 held working sessions with several French corporations and enterprises to promote cooperation and investment in areas such as aerospace, information technology, pharmaceuticals, railways, and energy, as part of his bilateral activities in France.
Meeting with Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President International of Airbus, the PM spoke highly of the group's successful cooperation with Vietnamese partners, including the VNREDSat-1 satellite project. He proposed Airbus expand its aviation cooperation with Vietnam through aircraft purchase agreements with reasonable pricing and timely delivery. He also called on the group to transfer technology to Vietnam, help human resources training, and aircraft warranty and maintenance.
He suggested long-term cooperation in research and production of aircraft components, and space exploration.
Wouter expressed his wish to continue cooperating with Vietnam Airlines in modernising its fleet, while proposing further collaboration in space technology, particularly by providing advanced optical satellite solutions to build on the success of the VNREDSat-1 project, and partnerships in using energy-efficient and environmentally friendly fuels, as well as in developing artificial intelligence (AI).
The PM received Philippe Bardol, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific, International & Public Affairs at Safran, who briefed his firm’s production and business activities. Bardol said that Safran Group began operations in Vietnam in1994 and officially opened its representative office in 1997.
The group supplies engines and equipment to airlines such as Vietjet, Vietravel, and Bamboo Airways, and is involved in Vietnam Airlines’ purchase project of 50 aircraft. During Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam’s visit to France in October 2024, Safran signed an 8 billion USD contract with Vietjet Air for the sale and maintenance of CFM engines for 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraft.
The Safran side proposed areas of cooperation in the aviation industry, including plans for airport development and aviation infrastructure, as well as in key industries that Vietnam prioritises.
PM Chinh highly valued Safran’s effective business cooperation activities in Vietnam, and shared several strategic development orientations of the country in the aviation and aerospace sectors. He called on Safran to support the development of these industries in Vietnam in the coming time, proposing the group coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and relevant agencies and partners to concretise cooperation activities and consider the feasibility of future projects aligned with Vietnam’s technological demand and orientation.
The Vietnamese leader also had a working session with a leader from Thales Group, a world’s leading tech firm in big data, AI, positioning technology, cybersecurity, and quantum technology. The French conglomerate employs over 81,000 people globally and has maintained operations in Vietnam since 1994.
Thales executive expressed her interest in expanding investment cooperation in Vietnam, particularly in telecommunications satellite development and cybersecurity initiatives.
PM Chinh welcomed Thales' proposals for technological partnership and acknowledged the company's efforts to develop relationship with domestic enterprises, contributing to enhanced local capacity and facilitating technology transfer. He asked Thales to work with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies on specific project proposals, requiring clear details on objectives, scale, technology applications, and equipment deployment.
He stressed that Vietnam always accompanies and creates the best conditions for foreign firms, including Thales, to develop their investment – business operations in the country in a stable, long-term, and sustainable manner and with a spirit of harmonious benefit and shared risk.
The PM also met with leaders of Alstom Group which ranks among the world's leading transportation solution providers.
Astom, founded in 1928, has been present in Vietnam for more than three decades, contributing to the country’s infrastructure development such as railway signaling and telecommunications system modernisation plan and the provision of core electrical and mechanical equipment systems for Hanoi Metro Line 3 (Nhon-Hanoi Station).
The group expressed its interest in accelerating construction progress for the second phase of Hanoi Metro Line 3, Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 2, and additional new lines through 2035 with a vision to 2045. Alstom also seeks participation in the proposed Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City high-speed railway project and stands ready to share high-speed rail technology as well as collaborate with Vietnamese enterprises to develop the national railway industry.
Welcoming the proposals, Chinh stressed that cooperation with France is a crucial component in carrying out Vietnam's new railway projects. He requested that the corporation work with the Ministry of Construction and competent enterprises and units to implement specific initiatives.
He requested the corporation to provide Vietnam with technology transfer, preferential lending, and workforce training in the railway sector.
During his meeting with Bernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO of EDF, the PM was briefed that the French energy group has operated in Vietnam since 2000. It has completed the Phu My 2 thermal power plant and is currently participating in the Son My 1 gas-fired power plant project. EDF expressed its interest in expanding cooperation in nuclear power, renewable energy, as well as in areas such as telecommunications and artificial intelligence (AI).
EDF is a multinational energy group majority-owned by the French government. It is the world's leading operator of nuclear power, the top renewable energy producer in Europe, and the first CO2-free electricity producer globally.
Welcoming EDF's proposals, Chinh encouraged the group to partner with Petrovietnam, Viettel, and other stakeholders to implement joint initiatives. Regarding the nuclear power project, he suggested EDF work with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant partners to clarify technologies, funding sources, and human resources development.
The PM also received Rafik Amrane, Vice President of Opella, the world’s third-largest enterprise in over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements, with a value of 190 billion EUR (over 218 billion USD). Amrane said Opella Vietnam currently operates commercial offices, a factory, and an R&D centre in the country, and expressed the group's desire to expand its investment in Vietnam.
Praising the company's business performance and welcoming its expansion plans, Chinh urged Opella to accelerate technology transfer, workforce training, and the use of locally sourced materials. He encouraged the group to scale up production not only for the domestic market but also for broader regional markets such as Southeast Asia, China, Australia, and the Pacific.
The Vietnamese leader called on Opella to swiftly coordinate with Vietnamese authorities and partners to fast-track project implementation. He noted that Vietnam is amending relevant laws and regulations to increase mutual recognition of quality inspection results for imports from countries and regions with high technical standards, while streamlining administrative procedures, reducing compliance time and costs for businesses and investors./.
