Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang (left) and French Minister with responsibility for transport Patrice Vergriete at their meeting that forms part of the Vietnamese delegation's visit to France from April 8 to 10. (Photo: VNA) The delegation had meetings with French Minister withresponsibility for transport Patrice Vergriete, agencies of the Ministry for EcologicalTransition and Territorial Cohesion, and representatives of Airbus Group.
At the events, Thang affirmed that transport cooperation,including in air, railway, maritime, and road transport, is one of thepriorities both countries have been promoting for many years.
He said Vietnam will create conditions for France to send large-sizedvessels to Vietnam, open more international shipping routes to major ports inthe Southeast Asian nation, and boost railway cooperation.
The two sides will also review the agreements signed sincethe 2000s to align them with the current context, especially the issues relatedto technology, green port development, and CO2 emission reduction, in order toensure more fruitful ties in all aspects, he noted.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Minister Vergriete said theylooked into some topics to help foster bilateral partnerships. Vietnam has anefficient seaport model, and France hopes to strengthen maritime tradecooperation in the future.
The two countries share the same goal of developing roadtransport, particularly the North - South Expressway project in Vietnam. Franceis experienced in this regard and completely able to support Vietnam during theimplementation of this project, he went on.
The official expressed his wish to visit Vietnam to promotethe cooperation potential in this expressway project, stressing that the twocountries can further enhance collaboration to prove that Vietnam is a majortrading partner of his country.
At the working session with the Transport RegulatoryAuthority (ART) under the French Ministry for Ecological Transition andTerritorial Cohesion, Minister Thang said the Vietnamese Government is prioritisingthe development of comprehensive infrastructure, including road infrastructure.It is accelerating the eastern North - South Expressway project, of which morethan 1,800km has been put into use. The country targets 3,000km of expressway tobe completed by 2025 and 5,000km by 2030.
AsFrance is strong at managing and operating urban transportation, he called for theEuropean country’s assistance so that people in Vietnam can soon accessconvenient, safe, and seamless transport services.
Meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, RodolpheGintz, Director General of the French Directorate General for Infrastructure,Transport and Mobility (DGITM), noted the French side is ready to share itsspecilised knowledge with Vietnam about high-speed railway and expresswaydevelopment.
During the visit, Minister Thang also had working sessionswith Paris public transport operator RATP, Ile-de-France Mobilities (IDFM) –the governmental authority that coordinates companies operating in the Paris-area public transport, and theFrench National Railway Corporation (SNCF) to discuss partnerships in railway transport.
To bolster ties in air transport, the delegationalso engaged in a meeting with representatives of Airbus in France.
Thang voiced his hope that Airbus, which hasoperated in Vietnam for over 40 years, will step up ties with Vietnameseministries, sectors, and agencies, especially in new areas such as aerospaceand aviation-related science, technology, and training.
He also affirmed that his ministry will keep working withrelevant agencies to provide conditions for Airbus to carry out cooperationprogrammes and projects in the country./.
VNA
