Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung held phone talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot on December 23, reaffirming that Vietnam always attaches importance to fostering multifaceted cooperation with France, the first EU member to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the Southeast Asian nation.
Trung expressed his delight at the robust growth in bilateral relations in recent years.
To effectively turn the outcomes of recent high-level visits into concrete action, particularly Party General Secretary To Lam’s visit to France in October 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit in June 2025, and French President Emmanuel Macron’s Vietnam trip in May 2025, he proposed further intensifying political trust through the exchange of delegations at all levels and across Party, State, National Assembly, and people-to-people channels.
He also called for leveraging the pioneering and coordinating role of the two foreign ministries to ensure that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership advances substantively and effectively, commensurate with the stature of the new relationship framework.
On the occasion, Trung suggested both sides fully tap the potential of economic, trade, and investment ties. He urged France to expedite the ratification of the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and raise its voice to support the European Commission’s early removal of the “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese aquatic products, which would further bolster Vietnam–EU collaboration.
Barrot, for his part, praised Vietnam’s role in the region, affirming that the frequent and substantive high-level exchanges between the two countries in recent years serve as clear evidence of their high level of mutual trust, while also creating strong momentum for further advancing bilateral ties.
France wishes to increase cooperation with Vietnam in such strategic sectors as energy, transport, and aerospace, while continuing to work closely with Vietnam to promote multilateralism and tackle global challenges, he said.
Both sides agreed to further develop sci-tech as a new pillar of bilateral ties, with France assisting Vietnam’s capacity building in emerging technologies, including biotechnology, digital industries, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and digital infrastructure.
On global and regional issues, they vowed to step up exchanges and viewpoint coordination on matters of mutual interest, and reinforce inter-regional cooperation between ASEAN and the EU, thus contributing to peace, stability, and development in the regions and the world./.
Seminar highlights growing opportunities for Vietnam- France cinema collaboration
Mathieu Ripka, General Representative of France’s Civil Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (ARP), expressed his optimism about future collaboration, suggesting that one day a Vietnam–France co-production could even represent France at the Oscars.
