Hélène Luc, honorary senator of France and honorary president of the France–Việt Nam Friendship Association, speaks to Vietnam News Agency. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Hélène Luc, honorary senator of France and honorary president of the France–Việt Nam Friendship Association (AAFV) said Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm’s upcoming official visit to France will provide fresh momentum for the two countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, turning longstanding friendship and bilateral commitments into practical cooperation.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the visit, Luc said the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024 has created new momentum and opened up broader cooperation opportunities. The priority now is to swiftly translate agreements reached by the two countries into concrete outcomes, she said.

The new framework paves the way for cooperation at all levels, from the central governments to regions, provinces and cities, but its potential has yet to be fully realised, Luc noted.

She said that more universities should establish partnerships, and French localities should strengthen ties with Vietnamese counterparts based on their respective economic strengths and cultural characteristics.

The AAFV has called on the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to step up high school student exchanges between the two countries, thus encouraging French language learning in Việt Nam and Vietnamese language learning in France. Luc noted that such exchanges remain limited and have considerable room for expansion.

Luc also called for new economic cooperation programmes involving chambers of commerce and industry as well as Business France, the French trade and investment promotion agency.

She said France, which is facing challenges from de-industrialisation and inequality, could benefit from closer collaboration with Việt Nam in science, economy, culture, health and defence, as Việt Nam is pursuing ambitious development goals and placing greater emphasis on science and technology.

The honorary senator expressed her hope that the visit will lead to concrete actions, enabling bilateral ties to quickly enter a new stage of development across multiple areas. Decisions reached by the two governments should be translated into action with broader public participation, particularly by young people, Luc said.

She described this as bringing diplomacy “to the streets, schools, museums, businesses, local authorities and associations”, adding that bilateral ties should not be confined to state-to-state relations, but should take deeper root in society through people-to-people exchanges and joint projects.

To promote such exchanges, Luc proposed designating 2027 as a 'Year of France–Việt Nam Cooperation and Exchanges', with activities covering culture, healthcare, cuisine, science, handicrafts and peace. Recalling previous cross-cultural exchange years that generated around 100 initiatives, she said a similar programme could help bring bilateral relations closer to the people.

The AAFV has also proposed working with the Vietnamese Embassy and the Association of Vietnamese in France to hold a Việt Nam Day, bringing together associations and around 60 organisations connected with Việt Nam. It also hopes to resume economic meetings previously held in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse, with the participation of chambers of commerce and Business France, she added.

Luc said people-to-people ties are an important foundation for these efforts, noting that tens of thousands of French visitors return from Việt Nam with admiration for the country and its people.

Around 60 organisations in France are working to strengthen ties with Việt Nam, Luc said, expressing the hope that the top Vietnamese leader could meet representatives of these organisations during his visit if his schedule permits.

She also proposed establishing a France–Việt Nam youth exchange organisation modelled on France’s mechanism with Germany, enabling young people from both countries to visit and learn about each other’s countries with state support. Such a mechanism will promote youth links and contribute to the development of the Francophone community.

Luc voiced her expectation that the two countries will make their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership more substantive through concrete actions involving governments, localities and people, while continuing to strengthen their longstanding friendship. — VNA/VNS