According to VNA, on September 10 (local time), at the French Prime Minister's Office, within the framework of an official visit to the French Republic and attending the Space Summit, General Secretary and President To Lam met with French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that France is one of the top important partners in Europe; wishing the two sides to maximize their complementary advantages to bring the new relationship framework into depth.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu affirmed that France always considers Vietnam an important strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region; France is Vietnam's gateway to the European Union (EU), and Vietnam is France's gateway to ASEAN.
The two leaders agreed to actively exchange delegations at all levels, soon establish new cooperation mechanisms commensurate with the level of relations and effectively implement the Vietnam - France Action Plan for the period 2026 - 2028; agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation in the field of defense - security, cooperation in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping forces as well as organized cross-border crime prevention and control.
The two sides agreed to continue to implement and effectively utilize the Vietnam - European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), bringing two-way trade turnover to continue to grow in a balanced direction.
General Secretary and President To Lam pointed out that cooperation in the field of economy and trade between the two countries still has a lot of untapped potential; if the two sides are determined, it is entirely possible to create further breakthroughs, bringing economic and trade cooperation worthy of the framework of the Vietnam - France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu shared that during the visit of General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, many documents, agreements as well as projects have been and are being negotiated and are expected to be signed this time. The Government and ministries and sectors of France wish to have specific exchanges with Vietnamese partners.
The two sides agreed to focus resources on promoting key and symbolic projects in areas where France has strengths and Vietnam has strategic needs. The two sides agreed to continue to deepen the traditional cooperation foundation in culture, education - training, health and local connectivity, further promoting new pillars in science - technology cooperation, innovation and digital transformation between the two countries.
The French side highly appreciates the development of Vietnam's industry and wishes to participate in projects in Vietnam, including energy, strategic infrastructure, and minerals. The French side wishes to support Vietnam in developing an international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
General Secretary and President To Lam welcomed the goodwill of the French side in financial, railway and science-technology cooperation. Regarding air-space cooperation, General Secretary and President To Lam welcomed the initiative of the French President when organizing the Space Summit and invited General Secretary and President To Lam to attend.
General Secretary and President To Lam requested France to speak out in support of the European Commission removing the "yellow card" for Vietnam's seafood exports. Unanimously supporting the proposals of General Secretary and President To Lam, the French Prime Minister affirmed that he would speak out in support of Vietnam in removing the IUU "yellow card" and the list of non-cooperating countries on taxes.
The two sides shared a common vision of promoting multilateralism, resolving conflicts by peaceful means on the basis of the UN Charter and international law; respecting and resolving disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The two countries will continue to closely coordinate and support each other at the UN, UNESCO, the Francophone Community (OIF), as well as within the ASEAN-EU framework.
