The visit was made at the invitation of Politburo member and President Luong Cuong.
President Macron's choice of Vietnam as the first destination during his regional trip affirms Vietnam's central role in France's foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region.
France is the first EU country to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, demonstrating a clear strategic priority.
The visit is of special significance to bilateral relations, especially after the two countries officially upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on April 12, 1973, the relationship between the two countries has had many positive developments.
High-level visits between the two leaders such as those of French President Francois Mitterand (1993), François Hollande (2016), President Tran Duc Luong (2002), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (2018) and most recently General Secretary and President To Lam (2024), have continuously strengthened the foundation of bilateral relations.
In 2023, the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of establishing a strategic partnership with a series of cultural activities, cooperation conferences and local exchanges. The two countries also maintain many diverse cooperation mechanisms, from political and economic dialogue to defense and security.
France is currently Vietnam's 5th largest European trading partner with a trade turnover of 5.42 billion USD in 2024.
In terms of investment, France has 700 valid projects with a total registered capital of 3.95 billion USD. In development cooperation, France is Vietnam's leading bilateral ODA sponsor, providing more than 16.7 billion euros from 1993 to 2022.
Defense cooperation is also notable with France being the first Western country to have a defense dependent in Vietnam (1991), the two sides maintaining an annual strategic dialogue and signing many important documents. In addition, cooperation in science - technology, agriculture, education and training has also been promoted with many agreements and projects being implemented.
