Fostering friendship and trust between Vietnam and France

Starting his term of office in Vietnam at a time when France and Vietnam are organizing many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet considers this a blessing. He said: “Personally, I feel very happy and fortunate to be in Vietnam at such a special time – when the two countries are holding many activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Over the past 50 years, we have had many rich and diverse activities in all fields. And in 2023, we celebrate that special relationship, and at the same time, we prepare for the coming decades to further strengthen the partnership between France and Vietnam.”

Reviewing the major events in 2023, Ambassador Olivier Brochet said that there were many activities held in 2023 and the celebration activities ended with an event held in Hue on December 12. That was the sound and lighting art performance “Hue by Light-The Live Show” - a product introducing the results of cooperation over the past time between Vietnam and France in general.

Speaking about the diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam, Ambassador Olivier Brochet used the two words “friendship” and “trust”. According to the Ambassador, friendship and trust have been cultivated by the two countries for 50 years in many fields. Since 1993, when French President Francois Mitterrand visited Vietnam as the first Western head of state to visit Vietnam, France has accompanied Vietnam ever since.

Most recently, in a phone call on October 20, 2023 between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron, the leaders of the two countries clearly expressed their determination and goodwill to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two sides in the coming time. In particular, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to and gives high priority to the Vietnam-France Strategic Partnership and supports France's initiatives for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world. French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that France attaches importance to the role and international position of Vietnam and the France-Vietnam Strategic Partnership; emphasizing that France always accompanies Vietnam in implementing the country's strategic development goals.

Talking about the cooperation priorities between the two countries in the coming time, Ambassador Olivier Brochet shared that France wishes to support Vietnam to achieve long-term sustainable development, especially in the context that Vietnam is also one of the countries that suffers heavily from climate change. Therefore, according to the Ambassador, accompanying Vietnam in adapting to the transition process in the context of climate change is also a priority in the cooperation between the two sides. “In that spirit, in 2023, there will be many events marking the cooperation between the two sides in this field. I can mention the framework of the "Just Energy Transition" partnership (JETP) in which France also actively participates, specifically France has committed to dedicating 500 million euros to Vietnam in this field," said Ambassador Olivier Brochet.

Regarding economic cooperation, according to Ambassador Olivier Brochet, the development potential of the two countries in this field is “huge”. Vietnam is constantly developing and wants to modernize its economy, and further strengthen its advantages in the international arena. The French Ambassador said that in 20 years, Vietnam's economy has developed impressively and the Vietnamese people are increasingly prosperous and have increasingly developed needs. In such a context, French businesses have more and more products and services to offer to the Vietnamese market.

Economic cooperation between the two countries is reflected in many areas, including energy cooperation. Vietnam's development needs require a large demand for energy. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the capacity of power plants and change the way electricity is produced to reduce carbon emissions. France is ready to accompany Vietnam in this transition.

Vietnam and France also have high-tech cooperation programs. For example, aviation cooperation between Vietnam and France is very strong. All three Vietnamese airlines use Airbus aircraft - one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Toulouse, France. In addition, France also has a lot of support for Vietnam through cooperation programs in the fields of railways and urban transport, demonstrated by the metro line - which will soon be put into operation.

Cooperation between localities is also a notable point in the relationship between the two countries. According to the Ambassador, cooperation between French and Vietnamese localities is very strong. This form of cooperation is highly supported by France, which was demonstrated at the cooperation conference between French and Vietnamese localities held in April 2023. “What I noticed is that this cooperation is not through immediate projects but projects that last for many years. This is a favorable opportunity for the parties to meet, understand each other better and at the same time have time to correctly identify the cooperation needs of both sides,” the Ambassador said.

Speaking about the people-to-people exchange relationship between the two countries, the French Ambassador said: “The French want to explore Vietnam and in the eyes of the French, the image of Vietnam is very beautiful. And we believe that there are similar feelings from the Vietnamese people towards France.”

Tourism is also an important channel contributing to promoting people-to-people exchanges. Ambassador Olivier Brochet was pleased to see that the number of French tourists to Vietnam in 2023 increased. "Although this number is not as high as before the COVID-19 pandemic, many French people want to return to Vietnam," the Ambassador said.

On the occasion of the New Year of the Dragon 2024, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet sent his best wishes for health, prosperity and success to the Vietnamese people. Wishing Vietnam continued strong development and wishing the friendship and cooperation between France and Vietnam to be further strengthened!./.

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