Vietnam, France Reaffirm Commitment to Deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam and France have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, security, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges, during talks held in Hanoi on Tuesday between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng and a visiting delegation from the National Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the French National Assembly.
The French delegation was led by Committee Chairman Jean-Michel Jacques during its working visit to Vietnam.
Welcoming the delegation, Lê Thị Thu Hằng highlighted the longstanding historical and cultural ties between Vietnam and France, noting that bilateral relations have evolved into a model strategic partnership. She emphasized that France became the first member of the European Union to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam.
The Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated Vietnam’s strong commitment to cooperation with France and expressed satisfaction with the positive development of relations across multiple sectors. She acknowledged the important role played by the legislative bodies of both countries in advancing bilateral ties.
Hằng also praised France’s long-standing support for Vietnam in areas including transport infrastructure, industry, and healthcare. She called for increased exchanges and high-level visits, while stressing the importance of further strengthening economic and trade cooperation as a central pillar of bilateral relations and advancing landmark projects that symbolize the partnership.
She urged the French National Assembly to support the early ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to advocate for the removal of the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood exports. She also expressed hope for continued French support for local-level cooperation, cultural exchanges, and preparations for the 13th Vietnam–France Decentralised Cooperation Conference scheduled to be held in France.
For his part, Jacques welcomed the growing momentum in bilateral relations and described the Vietnam–France partnership as unique and special, rooted in a shared history. He praised the Vietnamese people and underscored the need for stronger cooperation in economic, agricultural, cultural, and strategic sectors amid an increasingly complex global environment.
The French lawmaker affirmed the support of French parliamentarians for the ratification of EVIPA and efforts aimed at lifting the European Commission’s fisheries-related yellow card. He also pledged to contribute to the effective implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and promote closer cultural, educational, and local-level cooperation.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to elevate defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral relations. Areas of collaboration will include participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, search and rescue missions, and military officer training programmes.
The two parties also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in maritime areas, including the East Sea, while emphasizing that disputes should be resolved through peaceful means in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982.
