During his term in Vietnam, the new French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet said he will prioritize issues related to strengthening cooperation in combating climate change, maintaining biodiversity, and moving towards sustainable development.
This is noteworthy information at the working session between Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and new French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet on the afternoon of November 13, 2023.
At the meeting, on behalf of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien expressed his joy and welcomed Mr. Olivier Brochet in his new position, especially at a meaningful time in the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and France.
2023 is a special milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and France as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of upgrading their strategic partnership. With a long-standing traditional relationship, the Vietnam-France relationship has been developing positively in many fields, especially economics, trade and investment.
Minister Nguyen Hong Dien outlined the implementation of the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), affirming that Vietnam always welcomes the positive results of the implementation of the EVFTA in promoting economic and trade relations between Vietnam and the European Union countries, as well as witnessing the close and effective coordination between the two sides in implementing the institutions of the Agreement.
France is currently Vietnam's fourth largest trading partner in the EU and is a market that accounts for a large proportion of trade relations between Vietnam and Europe. Vietnam-France trade turnover achieved good growth with an average growth rate of 15.7% per year in the period 2011-2019.
Vietnam's exports to France are relatively rich and diverse, including: footwear, textiles, household appliances, agricultural, forestry and fishery products, rattan and bamboo products... and imports mainly from France are high-value products with high intellectual and technological content, including pharmaceuticals, machinery, equipment and means of transport.
In addition, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien highly appreciated the activities of a number of large French corporations and companies in the energy sector in Vietnam, and affirmed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade always creates favorable conditions and supports and expects the utmost efforts from the EU enterprises in general and France in particular to achieve the best results.
As of February 2023, France ranked 3rd among European countries (after the Netherlands and the UK) and 16th out of 114 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 549 valid investment projects, total registered investment capital reaching 3.8 billion USD. In the opposite direction, Vietnamese enterprises have invested in France in 09 projects with a total investment capital of 3 million USD.
For his part, Ambassador Olivier Brochet affirmed that the results of cooperation between France and Vietnam after 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations and 10 years of upgrading the strategic partnership demonstrate the friendship between France and Vietnam and are based on the understanding of the people of the two countries when having the opportunity to learn and exchange with each other.
During his term in Vietnam, Ambassador Olivier Brochet said that he will prioritize issues related to strengthening cooperation in combating climate change, maintaining biodiversity, and moving towards sustainable development; supporting Vietnam in adapting, building legal standards, making further use of the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to further develop economic relations between France and Vietnam, promoting the best French products to Vietnam, in areas of strength such as aviation, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food processing, and strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the international arena, maintaining and promoting the values shared by both sides such as respecting international law, protecting sovereignty through common forums, contributing to maintaining those values.
At the same time, the Ambassador reiterated the invitation of the French Senate to invite the Minister to attend the France-ASEAN Forum as a guest of honor next December. The Forum at the French Senate is an important opportunity for Vietnam to promote cooperation with France in accordance with the commitments made after the Prime Minister's official visit to France in 2021 and is also an opportunity to demonstrate Vietnam's role in the ASEAN region.
According to Vietnam Customs data, two-way import-export turnover between Vietnam and France in 2022 reached 5.3 billion USD, up 11.1% compared to 2021. Of which, exports reached 3.7 billion USD, up 15.2% and imports reached 1.6 billion USD, up 2.8%.
However, in the context of the world economy still having many uncertainties, unpredictable fluctuations, declining demand and high inflation rate in the EU, the trade turnover between the two countries in the first 9 months of 2023 only reached over 3.5 billion USD, down 10.2% compared to the same period in 2022, of which Vietnam's exports to France reached 2.4 billion USD and imports reached 1.1 billion USD.
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