The year 2023 is drawing to a close, filled with events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (April 12, 1973 - April 12, 2023). Over the past half-century, the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries has overcome numerous challenges and historical changes to develop and become even stronger.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Duong Giang - VNARelationships are built on sincerity.
Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level on April 12, 1973. From the late 1980s, France was a leader in opening relations and debt relief, helping Vietnam resolve its debt with creditor countries that were members of the Paris Club.
Twenty years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, in March 1993, French President Francois Mitterand visited Vietnam. According to the French Ambassador to Vietnam, Nicolas Warnery, this was the first Western leader to visit Vietnam after the Doi Moi (Renovation) period. At that time, the delegation led by the French President included many French officials and businesspeople. Since then, the two countries have established a comprehensive relationship in economics , research, education, healthcare, and more.
In 2004, French President Jacques Chirac paid a state visit to Vietnam. Ambassador Nicolas Warnery recounted: Speaking at the Embassy, President Jacques Chirac affirmed that the relationship between Vietnam and France was a "special, strong" relationship, one built on sincerity.
Subsequently, in September 2013, the two countries signed a Joint Declaration on the Vietnam-France Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit to France. This milestone paved the way for the relationship between the two countries to become increasingly deeper, more substantive, and more effective.
Since then, relations between the two countries have developed very well. The two countries regularly exchange high-level visits, notably the visits to Vietnam by French President François Hollande (2016); by French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe (November 2018); by President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher (December 2022); and visits to France by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (March 2018), National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (April 2019), etc.
In addition, senior leaders of the two countries regularly exchange letters and telephone conversations. Most recently, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation on October 20th.
On the other hand, the two countries also maintain many mechanisms for regular exchanges on politics, economics, and defense at various levels, notably the 2+2 strategic dialogue on security and defense between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Vietnam and France; the annual high-level economic dialogue co-chaired by the Minister of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the Minister of Foreign Trade of France (the 7th session took place in Hanoi in January 2022); and the Deputy Minister-level strategic defense dialogue between the two Ministries of Defense (the first session was held in Paris in July 2019).
Regarding cooperation within the framework of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF), the Vietnamese National Assembly is an active member and currently holds the chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific region of the APF (comprising Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and several island nations in the South Pacific). Cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries is developing positively through regular high-level exchanges and contacts, and the sharing of experiences between parliamentary bodies and friendship parliamentary groups, aiming to strengthen trust and promote comprehensive relations in various fields.
A bright spot in economic cooperation.
Although political relations between Vietnam and France are developing well, it can be said that the economy is the bright spot in this relationship. Ambassador Nicolas Warnery said: “The economy is one of the important areas of cooperation in the Franco-Vietnamese bilateral relationship, as evidenced by trade exchanges between the two sides, investments, and the establishment and operation of French businesses in Vietnam, in accordance with Vietnamese law.”
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang visits and works in the city of Saintes. Photo: Thu Ha - VNA.
Currently, France is Vietnam's fifth largest European trading partner. Bilateral trade between the two countries has more than tripled, from approximately US$1.6 billion in 2009 to US$5.3 billion in 2019.
Over the past three years, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between the two countries decreased slightly from US$4.81 billion in 2020 to US$4.8 billion in 2021, before recovering to US$5.33 billion in 2022.
Currently, Vietnam's exports to France mainly consist of footwear, textiles, ceramics, rattan and bamboo products, seafood, and machinery, equipment, and electronic components, while France mainly exports to Vietnam aerospace equipment, industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals, agricultural and food products, chemicals, and cosmetics.
In terms of investment, as of March 2023, France ranked second in the European Union (EU) and 16th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 673 projects totaling US$3.8 billion. French investors mainly focus on manufacturing and processing industries; electricity production and distribution; services, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate. Conversely, as of March 2022, Vietnam had invested in 18 projects in France with a total capital of over US$38 million.
In terms of development cooperation, France is the leading European bilateral ODA donor to Vietnam, and Vietnam ranks second among countries receiving French ODA in Asia, with a total committed capital of up to US$18.4 billion (since 1993). France provides Vietnam with a minimum of €200 million (nearly US$231 million) in ODA loans annually, focusing on three areas: climate change, energy transition, and green growth. Vietnam is also one of the few countries that benefits from all three channels of French financial assistance: official development assistance from the Treasury, concessional loans from the French Development Agency (AFD), and from the Priority Solidarity Fund (FSP).
Beyond politics and economics, the two countries are also actively cooperating in the fields of education, training, and healthcare.
Mai Huong
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