Prime Minister Chinh was invited to review the Guards of Honour by Minister of Public Sector Transformation and the Civil Service Amélie de Montchalin who chaired the welcome ceremony.

During the official visit from November 3-5 at the invitation of French PM Jean Castex, PM Chinh is scheduled to have talks with the French PM, and meetings with the French President as well as the President of the French Senate and the President of the French National Assembly.

He will also meet with the UNESCO Director-General, Secretary General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Managing Director of Office of the COVAX Facility, and the France-Vietnam Friendship Association, among others.

The Vietnam-France strategic partnership has been flourishing. Senior leaders of the countries have paid due attention to and underlined the importance of promoting bilateral relations.

The two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and 10 years of the strategic partnership in 2023.

The PM’s visit to France will help Vietnam-France strategic partnership become more practical and effective.

France is currently the fourth largest trade partner, the second leading investor and top official development assistance provider for Vietnam in the European Union.

Many major French groups are keen to invest in Vietnam, especially in aviation, infrastructure and smart urban areas, renewable energy, climate change adaptation and high technology.

PM meets President of French Senate

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher following the official welcome ceremony on November 3 (local time).

Larcher affirmed that France attaches importance to Vietnam’s position and role, and wishes to deepen bilateral traditional friendship and strategic partnership in various areas.

The Senate of France said he wishes to further step up ties with the Vietnamese legislature, he said.

PM Chinh, for his part, hailed the two legislatures’ important contributions to consolidating bilateral all-around ties, including promoting locality-to-locality collaboration.

He wished that France would continue assisting Vietnam in improving medical capacity, training culture management officers.

The PM proposed France consider increasing scholarships to Vietnamese students, help Vietnam restore France-Vietnam cultural heritages like Long Bien bridge or those bearing French impression in Vietnam.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue, they stressed that countries need to contribute to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity; ensuring security, maritime and aviation safety and freedom; as well as peacefully settling disputes on the basis of principles of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Larcher agreed on joint work to effectively realise the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He also expressed his support for the early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to optimise the potential of economic-trade-investment cooperation between Vietnam and France, and EU member states.

He added that he is ready to consider pushing forward the European Commission’s early removal of the “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese fisheries.

The Vietnamese PM thanked the French Government and Senate for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to study and work in the country. He also wished to receive more valuable support from the French Government, Senate and authorities.

The President of the French Senate spoke highly of the Vietnamese community in France’s integration and success, contributing to closer bilateral ties.

On the occasion, Chinh conveyed National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s invitation to Larcher to visit Vietnam./. 

Source: VNA