Member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Member of the Party Central Committeeand Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son paid a visit to France onMarch 4 and 5 as a special envoy of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
During the trip, the Deputy FM held meetings with First VicePresident of the French National Assembly Carole Bureau-Bonnard; head of the France – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group Stephanie Do; diplomatic adviser tothe Prime Minister Emmanuel Lenain; Secretary of State to the Minister forEurope and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne; and representatives from the Movementof the Enterprises of France MEDEF.
Son delivered to the French side PM Phuc’s letter to hisFrench counterpart Edouard Philippe.
The diplomat praised the fruitful growth of the Vietnam –France strategic partnership and exchanges of the two countries’ officials atall levels. He specially mentioned the official visit to France by General Secretaryof the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen PhuTrong as well as the trip to Vietnam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in2018, along with several high-level visits scheduled for 2019.
Regarding Vietnam – EU relations, Deputy FM Son highlightedthe benefits of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and InvestmentProtection Agreement (IPA) to the bilateral economic, trade and investmentcooperation. The pacts will help boost connectivity between the EU andAsia-Pacific region, particularly ASEAN member states, he added.
Appreciating France’s support for the comprehensivedevelopment of Vietnam – EU ties, Son called on the country and EU competentagencies to push for the early signing and ratification of the EVFTA and IPAwithin the current tenure of the European Parliament, thus quickly realisetheir potential benefits.
French government and parliament leaders expressed theirimpression of Vietnam’s recent achievements in economic growth, integration,and external relations.
They stressed that Vietnam is an important partner of Francein Asia-Pacific, and voiced hopes for stronger collaboration across multiplefields. They agreed to work together with the Vietnamese side in preparing forvisits by high-ranking officials of the two nations this year.
Agreeing on the benefits of the EVFTA to Vietnam – EUcooperation in economy trade, and investment, the French side said they willjoin EU member countries in making the agreement soon a reality.
Meanwhile, representatives of the French business communityshowed their interest in opportunities that the EVFTA will bring about, statingthat they will work for the early signing and ratification of the pact in theircountry.-VNA
VNA
