Vietnam - France Joint Statement

Photo caption

General Secretary To Lam meets with French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Below, VNA respectfully introduces the full text of the Joint Statement:

In the context of the continuing tense international situation and after the two countries' relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on October 7, 2024, during the official visit to the French Republic by General Secretary To Lam, the two leaders reaffirmed their desire to deepen the trusted partnership between Vietnam and France to enhance the independence, autonomy and development of each side, especially through increasing the exchange of high-level delegations and all levels, as well as improving the effectiveness of cooperation and dialogue mechanisms between the two countries, in the spirit of respecting the United Nations Charter and its principles, and the common desire to ensure stability and prosperity of the world order, as well as the determination to come up with ambitious solutions and work together to address global challenges.

On this occasion, the two leaders welcomed the fact that the two countries will soon approve and agree to closely coordinate and implement the Action Plan for the 2025-2028 period to implement the Joint Statement on upgrading Vietnam-France relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, in order to continue to deepen and effectively bring bilateral relations to meet the aspirations of the people of the two countries.

Vietnam and France reiterated the essential role of multilateralism, with the United Nations at its center; and reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Charter, with a particular emphasis on the importance of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are key factors for the development of each country. The two countries pledged to strengthen coordination and consultation at international forums and organizations, including the United Nations and the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Vietnam and France support the strengthening of relations between Vietnam and the European Union (EU), as well as the ASEAN-France Development Partnership and the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership.

Vietnam and France reaffirm their common commitment to promoting international peace , security and stability.

Vietnam and France reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, security and stability in the South China Sea, as well as their commitment to fully respecting the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two countries stressed that the Convention establishes the legal framework for all activities related to the seas and oceans, and is of strategic importance as the basis for activities and cooperation on the oceans at the national, regional and international levels. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the integrity of the Convention. Vietnam and France reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes between states and resolutely opposed any threat to use force or use of force contrary to international law. The two countries reaffirmed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as the right of innocent passage in the South China Sea and in the world. The two countries called on countries in the region to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and support all regional efforts to soon achieve a Code of Conduct (COC) that is truly effective, substantive and consistent with international law, especially UNCLOS.

The President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron presented France's efforts to achieve a complete and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible. The two countries stressed the importance of achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with international law and on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.

Vietnam and France reaffirm the special importance of respecting the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations.

Vietnam and France once again expressed their desire to establish peace, stability and security in the Middle East. The two countries called for and committed to cooperation to seek a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, with the prerequisite of achieving a sustainable ceasefire. Vietnam and France reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the two-state solution, as this is the only solution that meets the legitimate aspirations for peace and security of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.

Vietnam and France reaffirm their desire to strengthen the independence, autonomy and development of each country, in particular through:

- Develop relations in the field of defense to strengthen each country's strategic autonomy, in accordance with the needs of each side, especially through strengthening cooperation in the field of defense equipment with research, proposals and implementation of structural projects, as well as promoting cooperation on historical memory and in United Nations peacekeeping operations, contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world. Vietnam and France welcome the signing of the Letter of Intent between the Vietnamese Minister of Defense and the French Minister of the Army;

- Continue to strengthen cooperation in crime prevention and control, illegal immigration and illegal migration, as well as cooperation in the field of civil security protection;

- Promote an international trade environment towards common prosperity and in bilateral relations, continue to fully implement the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EVFTA), including market access and intellectual property protection, as well as commit to supporting the ratification of the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). France agrees to support Vietnam in implementing the legal framework against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, deploying a strict and effective fisheries inspection and monitoring system, in accordance with current European and international regulations;

- Strengthen cooperation in strategic areas, especially infrastructure, urban connectivity, railway transport, aviation, space, geology and minerals, non-carbon energy, including renewable and nuclear energy, non-carbon hydrogen and its products, as well as cooperation in training high-quality human resources in the fields of science, technology and innovation, especially in research and application of high technology and strategic technology.

The two sides discussed projects in the transport sector and agreed to study the prospects for cooperation in this area. France reaffirmed its readiness to support the restart of Vietnam's nuclear power program as well as the sustainable exploitation of mineral resources.

France encourages Vietnam to participate in French initiatives and action programs on artificial intelligence (AI) and supports the training of high-quality human resources for Vietnam in this field. Vietnam and France welcome the UN General Assembly's adoption by consensus of the UN Convention against Cybercrime and the organization of the Convention's signing ceremony in October 2025 in Hanoi.

- Vietnam and France pledge to maintain and strengthen cooperation in the health sector.

Vietnam and France reaffirmed their determination to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement to combat climate change ten years after the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015. They also reaffirmed their support for the conclusions of the first Global Assessment of Efforts (GST) adopted at COP28, in particular the gradual transition away from fossil fuels. France welcomed Vietnam's ambitious targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to strive to use no coal for power generation by 2050. France will continue to support Vietnam's efforts to achieve these goals, especially within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). Within this framework, the two countries particularly welcomed the implementation of the first two projects financed by the French Development Agency. Vietnam and France support the implementation of the Coal Transition Acceleration (CTA) initiative.

Vietnam and France are committed to strengthening the protection of the oceans on a global scale and support the organization of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) co-chaired by France and Costa Rica. France welcomes Vietnam's implementation of procedures to ratify the Agreement under the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Vietnam and France believe that the early entry into force of the Agreement will demonstrate the strong commitment of countries to the protection of biodiversity and hope that this can be announced at the next UNOC. At the same time, the two countries reaffirmed their determination to implement and achieve the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022, especially the “30x30” target to protect 30% of the global land area and 30% of the global marine area by 2030. Vietnam and France called for active negotiations towards the signing, ratification and implementation of a legally binding international instrument related to plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, at the Intergovernmental Conference on Negotiating a Global Agreement on Plastic Pollution Session 5.2 (INC-5.2) in August 2025 in Geneva.

Vietnam and France reaffirmed the essential importance of people-to-people exchanges in bilateral relations. The two countries pledged to vigorously promote people-to-people exchanges through enhanced cooperation in the fields of culture, health, higher education, agriculture and environment, science and innovation, especially through student and researcher exchange programs, within the framework of the new Hubert Curien Partnership, as well as the teaching of French and Vietnamese, and all other forms of cooperation that contribute to enhancing mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries, including international volunteer programs in accordance with Vietnamese law. Vietnam and France agreed to continue developing Vietnamese-French university programs implemented in Vietnam to train high-quality human resources in science and technology and cooperate in developing cutting-edge technologies.

VNA/News and People Newspaper

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/tuyen-bo-chung-viet-nam-phap-20250527184252716.htm