Vietnam attaches importance to developing its friendship and comprehensive cooperation with France, including security and defence.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made the statement at a reception for visiting French Defence Minister Herve Morin in Hanoi on July 26.

President Triet expressed his belief that through this visit, the first by a French Defence Minister to Vietnam since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973, the cooperation between the two defence ministries will develop more practically and effectively.

He said that France holds an important position in Europe and in the international arena also and has had a great cultural and architectural influence on Vietnam for a long time. Therefore, Vietnam wants France to strengthen experience sharing and increase investment in the country.

Together with high-ranking leaders’ visits, the two countries should speed up the exchange of delegations at ministerial and local levels in order to study and take the advantage of cooperation and investment opportunities, he added.

For his part, Minister Herve Morin affirmed that France wants to develop its strategic partnership with Vietnam and is ready to share experiences in security and defence with the Southeast Asian country.

France will assist the Vietnamese Defence Ministry in personnel training as well as strengthening trade and investment cooperation and technological transfer with Vietnam , he said.

Earlier, Minister Herve Morin held talks with Vietnamese Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh.

The two sides discussed issues around weapons of mass destruction as well as measures to boost bilateral ties and strengthen the defence cooperation agreements signed in 2009 and 2010 for peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

On the occasion, Thanh talked to the French guests about the first ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), which will be held in Vietnam in October this year.

On the evening of July 26, General Phung Quang Thanh hosted a banquet for the French delegation.

On the same day, Minister Herve Morin met with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, who affirmed that in the process of international integration, strengthening bilateral and multilateral ties in defence with countries, including France , is an orientation that is suitable to Vietnam ’s demand for development and its real situation.

He thanked France for its help to Vietnam in personnel training, especially army medical officers, and its implemention of army medical and defence equipment projects.

Minister Herve Morin affirmed that France wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam , including defence cooperation, on a trustful and long-term base.

He said that France is ready to give professional advice to Vietnam in modernising its defence industry, including the technological transfer.

Deputy PM Nhan and his French guest expressed their belief that a Vietnam-France joint project to build the Hanoi University of Science and Technology will become a vivid manifestation and an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries./.