HCMC – Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and French President Emmanuel Macron, at their meeting in Nice on June 9, pledged to deepen bilateral ties and position their countries as strategic gateways to Asia and Europe for each other.
The two sides agreed to step up exchanges of delegations at all levels, especially high-level visits, to continuously strengthen political trust and review and promote cooperation agreements, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
On economic, trade, and investment cooperation, the Vietnamese leader emphasized the spirit of “three diversifications” – diversifying markets, supply chains, and products – and called on France to work closely with Vietnam to boost bilateral trade and further open their markets to each other.
The prime minister urged France to support the swift completion of procedures for ratifying the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to advocate for the European Commission to soon lift the IUU “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood.
The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation on security, accelerate the energy transition, and expand joint projects to address climate change in the near future.
Regarding science and technology cooperation, PM Chinh stressed the importance of effectively implementing the intergovernmental agreement on science, technology, and innovation.
He called on France to help enhance Vietnam’s capabilities in strategic fields such as aerospace, satellite technology, energy, biotechnology, digital industries, semiconductors, quantum technology, digital infrastructure, and the digital economy.
Both sides highlighted the important role of French medicine in the development of Vietnam’s healthcare sector and agreed to strengthen medical cooperation, aiming to position Vietnam as a model for applying French medical technology in Southeast Asia.
PM Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse, Le Thi Bich Tran, arrived in Nice on the afternoon of June 7, beginning a working trip at the invitation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron.
This marks PM Chinh’s first attendance at the UN Ocean Conference and his first visit to France since the two countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in October 2024, following President Macron’s visit to Vietnam in May.
