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| Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in Paris on June 5. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
At the invitation of French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son paid an official visit to the French Republic from June 5-6.
At the meeting on the morning of June 5, Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to the relationship with France, an important member of the EU, a strategic partner of Vietnam with many historical, cultural, and human ties...
Expressing his impression of Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements, Minister Colonna highly appreciated Minister Bui Thanh Son's official visit to the French Republic; this is the first exchange of delegations at the Foreign Minister level between the two countries in the past 10 years, taking place on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership.
The two sides expressed their delight at the positive developments in bilateral relations in recent times, and hoped that the two sides would closely coordinate to bring bilateral cooperation to new heights.
In terms of politics and diplomacy, the two Ministers agreed to continue promoting visits and contacts at all levels in the coming time, especially between high-ranking leaders of the two countries; maintain cooperation mechanisms, including resuming the Deputy Ministerial-level Defense and Security Strategy Dialogue between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Vietnam and France; and conducting political consultations at the Director-level between the two Foreign Ministries.
Trade and investment cooperation continues to be an important pillar in bilateral relations. The two sides were pleased to see that bilateral trade is recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching 5.3 billion USD in 2022, up 10% compared to 2021, but there is still much potential; at the same time, they agreed to continue to effectively implement the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
Minister Bui Thanh Son proposed that the French Government support and urge the French National Assembly to soon ratify the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove the EC's yellow card warning (IUU) for Vietnamese seafood products.
The French Minister expressed his appreciation for economic cooperation projects between the two countries, especially the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station urban railway project, a symbol of Vietnam-France economic cooperation.
The two sides also discussed promoting cooperation in the fields of climate change response, renewable energy, science and technology, education and training, etc.
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| The two Ministers agreed to coordinate and implement activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations in 2023. (Photo: Bao Chi) |
The two Ministers expressed their delight at the comprehensive development steps between the two countries in the fields of culture, education, and health; agreed to coordinate and implement activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations in 2023. Minister Bui Thanh Son asked France to continue to pay attention and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in France to successfully integrate, contributing to promoting the role of a bridge between the two countries.
The two Ministers also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, affirming to continue close coordination and mutual support at multilateral organizations and forums, especially the United Nations, and promoting the ASEAN-EU strategic partnership framework.
Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides shared their stance on ensuring peace, stability, security, cooperation and development in the region, resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter, and respecting the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On this occasion, Minister Bui Thanh Son respectfully invited Minister Catherine Colonna to pay an official visit to Vietnam, and Minister Colonna happily accepted.
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