General Secretary To Lam: Strongly promote Vietnam-France bilateral trade

The General Secretary stated that Vietnam and France need to continue to coordinate closely in order to maintain and strengthen the multilateral trading system, vigorously promote bilateral trade, and further open their markets.

General Secretary To Lam receives French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

On the afternoon of April 17, at the Party Central Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam received the Ambassador of the Republic of France to Vietnam, Olivier Brochet.

The General Secretary highly appreciated the Ambassador's affection and contributions to the country and people of Vietnam, as well as to promoting Vietnam-France relations; emphasizing that France being the first EU member to become a Comprehensive Strategic Partner of Vietnam is vivid evidence that Vietnam values and wishes to further deepen its friendly and comprehensive cooperation with France.

The General Secretary requested that France, as a key and influential member of the EU, further promote Vietnam-EU relations to contribute to peace , stability, and development in the region and the world.

Expressing satisfaction with the positive progress in Vietnam-France relations in recent times, especially in the fields of trade and investment - one of the leading pillars within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership - the General Secretary suggested that both sides should continue to coordinate closely to maintain and strengthen the multilateral trading system, while strongly promoting bilateral trade and further opening up each other's markets, especially in the context of the world economy facing many difficulties and challenges, and increasing international trade competition.

The General Secretary agreed with the French Ambassador's proposals on effectively implementing and making the most of the immense opportunities from the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); and promoting cooperation in areas where both sides have strengths, such as infrastructure, transportation, renewable energy, green energy, science and technology, innovation, aerospace, and training high-quality human resources.

On this occasion, the General Secretary suggested that the two countries continue to deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as health, culture, conservation, museums, historical memory and archives, and cooperation between localities…

Ambassador Olivier Brochet thanked the General Secretary for taking the time to receive him. He also emphasized the significant importance and outstanding results of General Secretary To Lam's visit to France in October 2024, particularly the upgrading of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking an important milestone for friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation.

The Ambassador suggested that the two countries continue to take concrete steps to deepen and make the new cooperation framework more practical; congratulated Vietnam on its dynamic socio-economic development and emphasized that France wishes to continue accompanying Vietnam on its new development path in the future; affirmed that Vietnam is one of France's important priority partners in the Asia-Pacific region, as evidenced by increasingly vibrant visits and exchanges at all levels and the expanding Vietnam-France cooperation mechanisms in many fields.

Expressing strong agreement with General Secretary To Lam's statements on the importance of the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) for businesses in both countries, the French Ambassador said he would urge the French National Assembly to ratify the agreement soon, as well as push the EC to lift the IUU Yellow Card on Vietnamese seafood exports.

General Secretary To Lam and the French Ambassador agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in multilateral forums and international organizations, promoting multilateralism, upholding international law, and addressing global challenges.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, the French Ambassador emphasized that France and the EU support Vietnam and ASEAN's stance on resolving disputes through peaceful means based on adherence to international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

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