President Luong Cuong holds talks with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron

At the invitation of President Luong Cuong, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron and his wife paid a State visit to Vietnam from May 25 to 27, 2025. This is the first visit to Vietnam by a French President in nearly 10 years and also the first exchange of high-ranking leaders between the two countries since upgrading relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024.

On the morning of May 26, after the solemn State-level welcoming ceremony,President Luong Cuong and the French President held talks at the Presidential Palace.

President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron hold talks.

At the talks, President Luong Cuong warmly welcomed President Macron and the high-ranking French delegation on their State visit to Vietnam, emphasizing the close historical and cultural ties between the two countries; affirming that the visit is a clear demonstration of the determination to bring the Vietnam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into reality and effectiveness.

The President affirmed that France always holds an important position in Vietnam's foreign policy, and is the first EU country with which Vietnam has a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level of relations. Vietnam always attaches importance to developing multifaceted cooperation with France, supporting France's important role in international organizations such as the United Nations, the Francophone Organization and UNESCO; and suggested that the two countries continue to promote their similar advantages to jointly respond to global challenges and harmoniously handle emerging regional and world issues.

Pleased to visit Vietnam for the first time, a country with an important role in ASEAN and in France's Indo-Pacific strategy, President Macron thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their warm welcome, and expressed his impression of the rapid and strong development and outstanding socio -economic achievements that Vietnam has achieved in recent times.

General Director of Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) Ngo Chi Dung and President of Sanofi Southeast Asia - India Zainab Sadat Qayyum discussed the Partnership Agreement on technology transfer for vaccine production in Vietnam between Sanofi Pasteur and VNVC.

Congratulating Vietnam on its increasing position and role in the region and the international arena, President Macron affirmed that France wishes to continue to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in traditional fields, especially health, education, culture, and expand into new areas of cooperation such as infrastructure, urban transport, aerospace, new energy, historical memories, etc., commensurate with the current comprehensive strategic partnership.

In an atmosphere of sincerity, friendship and trust, the two leaders informed each other about the economic and social situation of each country; assessed the development of bilateral relations in recent times, and discussed and agreed on major cooperation directions between the two countries in the coming time. In terms of politics and diplomacy, the two sides agreed to continue to increase delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, especially high-level, through all channels; effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms, and at the same time study and establish new cooperation mechanisms; continue to closely coordinate at international and regional forums.

President Luong Cuong and the French President also agreed that the two countries need to continue implementing signed agreements in areas of cooperation in defense and security, including the fight against cross-border crimes.

On this occasion, President Luong Cuong invited French senior leaders to attend the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi in October 2025.

In the economic, trade and investment fields, the two leaders agreed to promote trade and investment; effectively implement and exploit the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement. France will promote the early completion of the ratification of the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, urge the European Commission to soon remove the IUU "yellow card" for Vietnamese seafood products and create conditions for Vietnam to increase seafood exports to the French and EU markets.

The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in the fields of science and technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and digital transformation, especially in training high-quality human resources; at the same time, expand scientific research cooperation, promote technology transfer and mastery, and invest in digital infrastructure development.

The two leaders agreed to continue to strengthen and promote cooperation in traditional areas such as education - training, health and justice as well as in the fields of culture - tourism, agriculture and climate change response; Vietnam proposed that France continue to support development cooperation through ODA funding and preferential loans from the Government for projects on enhancing climate change resilience and improving the quality of human resources in the energy sector; France continues to support Vietnam in implementing specific projects within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership JETP.

On this occasion, President Luong Cuong thanked and requested the French Government to continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to stabilize their lives and integrate well so as to continue to make practical contributions to the socio-economic development of the host country and the friendship between the two countries; and requested France to soon confirm the organization of the 13th Local Cooperation Conference.

Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, President Luong Cuong affirmed that Vietnam adheres to the “4 no’s” defense policy in international relations. The two sides emphasized the essential role of multilateralism, in which the United Nations holds a central position.

President Macron affirmed his support for ASEAN's stance on the East Sea. The two sides emphasized that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) is the comprehensive legal framework for all activities and cooperation at sea and in the ocean; reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the region, resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, and supporting all efforts to soon reach an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS 1982.

Immediately after the talks, President Luong Cuong and President Emmanuel Macron and the high-ranking delegations of the two countries witnessed the handover ceremony of bilateral cooperation documents, including: Letter of Intent between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the French Ministry of the Army on enhancing cooperation in the field of defense equipment; Letter of Intent between the Vietnamese Ministry of the Interior and the French Ministry of Culture in the field of archives; Cooperation Plan for 2025 - 2026 between the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and the French Embassy in Vietnam; Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the French Development Agency Group on cooperation in the fields of agriculture and environment 2025-2030; Letter of Intent between the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the French Ministry of Transport on promoting cooperation in the field of transportation; Cooperation Agreement on Science, Technology and Innovation between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of France; Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial Sovereignty and Digitalization of France on cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy; Agreement between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of France on cooperation in the field of repatriation of citizens; Loan agreement between the French Development Agency and the Ministry of Finance representing the Government of Vietnam for the Project on Drought, Erosion and Flood Adaptation in Ninh Thuan Province; Minutes of agreement on joint cooperation between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology with Airbus Defense and Space (Airbus) and the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES) regarding the deployment of Earth observation satellites; Minutes of agreement on cooperation in exploiting the project of Wharf 7, 8 Lach Huyen, Hai Phong between Saigon Newport Corporation and CMA-CGM Group (CMA Terminals); Credit contract to finance the project of Strengthening the Southern Transmission Grid of the National Transmission Corporation; Partnership agreement on technology transfer for vaccine production in Vietnam between Sanofi Pasteur and Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company VNVC; Contract for purchase of 20 wide-body A330-900 aircraft between Vietjet and Airbus.

According to VNA

Source: https://baobacgiang.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-luong-cuong-hoi-dam-voi-tong-thong-cong-hoa-phap-emmanuel-macron-postid418889.bbg