Vietnam, France – accompanying, reliable partners: Ambassador

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang (Photo: VNA)

The relationship between Vietnam and France has been thriving, and the two countries have become accompanying, reliable partners of each other, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has affirmed in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 10 years of the strategic partnership.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang highlighted the traditional relations between the two countries and their perse, multi-sectoral cooperation, which have been strengthened and developed comprehensively.

France remains a leading partner of Vietnam in Europe and the world at large, he said, stressing that France highly values Vietnam’s position in the region as well as in strategies and policies that the European country is implementing in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.

Thang noted that the two countries have maintained regular exchange mechanisms in politics, economy and national defence, and a range of agreements have been signed, creating a legal foundation for the bilateral collaboration in priority areas.

The frequency of delegation exchanges and meetings between Vietnamese and French leaders on the sidelines of international conferences over the past time reflects the close bilateral political ties, he went on.

The ambassador laid emphasis on economic cooperation between the two countries as France is the leading European ODA supplier of Vietnam, and Vietnam ranks second among France’s ODA recipients in Asia with total commitments amounting to 18.4 billion USD from 1993.

Two-way trade more than tripled within 10 years, reaching 5.3 billion USD in 2019. Over 300 French businesses are operating in the Southeast Asian nation in various sectors, while a number of Vietnamese firms have landed their investments in France.

Thang also pointed to strong bilateral cooperation in higher education with hundreds of agreements inked by universities and research institutes of the two countries, and some 7,000 Vietnamese students in France now.

Health care also forms a key cooperation area, he said, adding that collaboration between localities has been expanded with the participation of 24 France localities and 33 cities and provinces of Vietnam. He described the 12th Vietnam-France conference on decentralised cooperation, slated for April 13-14 in Hanoi, as a vivid demonstration for the vitality of cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities.

According to the diplomat, there are many favourable conditions for the two countries to enhance their ties.

The perse partnerships at different levels, positive cooperation outcomes, and common perceptions on visions of the strategic partnership have laid important ground for partners of the two sides to deepen and expand their connectivity, he continued.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher in Hanoi in 2022 (Photo: VNA)

Thang also cited common points in foreign policies of the two countries and the reciprocity of the two economies as another advantage, saying both countries play a key role and position in their regions.

Given emerging challenges in post-COVID-19 economic recovery and development, he suggested partners of the two countries make greater efforts and take measures to meet new requirements of both nations.

Cooperation coordination mechanisms should work more effectively in order to orient and help partners of the two sides expand cooperation and well implement relevant programmes and projects, he said, proposing that relevant agencies and partners of both sides work out specific programmes and plans in key cooperation spheres.

For investment, he said solutions are needed to attract more French investments in multiple fields in Vietnam, from high-tech, economic sectors, digital transformation, health care and pharmaceuticals to traditional industries like car manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure construction, public transport, high quality agriculture, food processing, environment-related sectors, among others.

He noted that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which came into force from August 1, 2020, has generated great opportunities for the two countries to boost their economic and trade links.

The ambassador urged Vietnamese businesses to revamp production to satisfy quality standards and catch up with development trends of Europe and France. Meanwhile, French enterprises should put forth more methodical strategies and set aside more resources to promote their presence in Vietnam and optimise the market to expand their reach in the region.

In addition, he emphasised cooperation in education and training, explaining that youngsters will help tighten the relations comprehensively and create new ideas for new cooperation projects, meeting the interests of both nations in a rapidly-evolving world.

“It can be said that there are substantial opportunities for Vietnam and France to elevate their relations in the coming years,” he said.

The determination of leaders, the support of people from all walks of life and the active engagement of partners in all fields have raised hope for intensive, extensive and effective development of the Vietnam-France in the future, he said.

The two countries should fully promote cooperation to contribute to the relations between Asia and Europe, and between ASEAN and the EU, with untapped potential, and contribute to building a world of harmony and peace./.