Ambassador Olivier Brochet: France and Vietnam have many similar views on ocean issues

French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet affirmed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam to raise global awareness of the ocean, thereby promoting practical and timely actions to protect this precious resource.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife led a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to attend the 3rd United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in France and pay official visits to Estonia and Sweden from June 5-14.

On this occasion, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet gave an interview to The World and Vietnam Newspaper, reviewing the outstanding results of President Macron's visit and expecting Vietnam's contribution at the UN Ocean Conference.

Taking place right after the State visit to Vietnam from May 25-27 by French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's working trip marked a continuous development in bilateral relations, demonstrating high political trust and establishing a solid foundation for Vietnam-France cooperation in the coming time.

French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet. (Photo: Xuan Son)

Calm the past, practical future

Ambassador Olivier Brochet affirmed that the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Vietnam is a clear demonstration of the deep friendship and effective exchanges between the leaders of the two countries. The French President and his wife were especially grateful for the warm and sincere welcome from General Secretary To Lam andPresident Luong Cuong. The Vietnamese leaders have carefully prepared every small detail to ensure the success of the visit.

"A notable highlight of the visit was the private lunch between General Secretary To Lam and his wife with the French President and his wife. This was an opportunity for the two leaders to have private discussions, contributing to strengthening their close and trustworthy personal relationship. It can be said that through this intimate lunch, the relationship between President Macron and General Secretary To Lam was raised to a new level," the French Ambassador emphasized.

The visit was also marked by deeply symbolic details. After the tree planting ceremony in the garden behind the Presidential Palace, near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the General Secretary took the French President on a tour of the tree planting area and Uncle Ho's stilt house to better understand the life and simple lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh.

This is even more meaningful as Vietnam celebrates its 80th National Day this year - a historical milestone for the two countries to look back at the past calmly, thereby moving towards practical cooperation activities in the present and future.

Ambassador Olivier Brochet shared, "I would like to refrain from repeating the bilateral cooperation focuses that were agreed upon by the leaders of both sides and fully expressed in the Joint Statement. However, I would like to emphasize an equally important factor: mutual trust between the two countries, especially between senior leaders, a sustainable foundation for Vietnam-France relations in the coming years."

Panorama of the press conference at the French Embassy in Vietnam. (Photo: Xuan Son)

For the blue ocean roof

Ambassador Olivier Brochet expressed his delight at the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s participation in the UN Ocean Conference, an important event co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. Vietnam’s participation demonstrates its strong commitment to global efforts to combat climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity conservation.

"Vietnam's participation is even more meaningful as the country has more than 3,000 km of coastline and is facing many challenges, from coastal erosion, declining fisheries resources to the impacts of climate change and tensions at sea. France and Vietnam have many similar views on ocean issues, calling on the international community to listen to the voices of coastal countries within the framework of the United Nations," the French Ambassador affirmed.

France has invited Vietnam to host a side event of the Conference, focusing on environmental challenges in deltas and river systems, notably the Mekong Delta. This is an important opportunity to affirm the potential for cooperation between the two countries in promoting global solutions to urgent problems.

The Mekong Delta region is facing many major challenges from climate change, changing rainfall patterns as well as increasing drought and saltwater intrusion. (Source: Government Electronic Newspaper)

According to Mr. Olivier Brochet, France expects that at this conference, Vietnam will announce its ratification of the International Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The Agreement needs at least 60 countries to ratify it to come into force, and France believes that with the participation of Vietnam and other countries, this goal will soon become a reality.

Ambassador Olivier Brochet emphasized, "For France, the UN Ocean Conference is no less important than the COPs on climate and biodiversity. The three pillars - oceans, climate and biodiversity - are the three legs of the tripod supporting the future of humanity; if one pillar is weakened, the entire global ecosystem will be seriously affected. The ocean is not only a resource that feeds humans but also a space that connects continents. However, the ocean is currently 'seriously ill' - affected by climate change, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss and global climate imbalance".

Therefore, France wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam and countries outside Europe to raise global awareness of ocean-related issues, thereby promoting practical and timely actions to protect this precious resource.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-olivier-brochet-phap-va-viet-nam-co-nhieu-quan-dien-tuong-dong-ve-cac-van-de-dai-duong-316613.html