French President pays State visit to Vietnam from May 25-27

Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations on April 12, 1973. However, the foundation for exchange between the two countries existed before that, when France opened a representative mission in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam after the Geneva Agreement in 1954.

Over the past 50 years, the relationship between the two countries has been continuously strengthened and expanded in many fields. In 2013, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two countries officially upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. In October 2024, after the official visit to France by General Secretary andPresident To Lam, the two sides issued a Joint Statement upgrading the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. France became the first country in the European Union to have the highest level of relations with Vietnam.

In the economic field, France is currently Vietnam's fifth largest European trading partner. In 2024, bilateral trade turnover reached 5.42 billion USD, an increase of nearly 13% over the previous year. In terms of investment, France ranks 16th among countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 700 valid projects and a total registered capital of nearly 4 billion USD.

Vietnam also has 20 investment projects in France. Notably, France is the leading European country in providing bilateral ODA to Vietnam, with a total capital of up to 16.7 billion euros from 1993 to 2022, focusing on infrastructure, technology, agriculture, green industry and finance.

President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron

In addition, cooperation in security - defense, science and technology, education and training and agriculture has also achieved many positive results. France is the first Western country to have a defense attaché in Vietnam. The two sides maintain annual strategic and defense dialogues. In education, programs such as PFIEV, CFVG and the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) are symbols of effective and sustainable cooperation.

The Vietnamese community in France currently has about 350,000 people, most of whom have acquired French citizenship, acting as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

President Macron has a good impression of Vietnam and has welcomed many high-ranking Vietnamese leaders during previous visits. This visit is expected to open a new chapter in Vietnam-France relations, for the common benefit and peace and development of the region and the world.

Vietnam-France relations, especially after 10 years of establishing a strategic partnership (2014-2024), have been developing well. Photo: Vietnam Briefing/nhandan.vn

Hai Lam

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/tong-thong-phap-tham-cap-nha-nuoc-toi-viet-nam-tu-25-27-5-193797.htm