General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng (centre) held phone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday from the headquarters of the Party in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng on Friday held high-level phone talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations (1973-2023) and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership (2013-2023).

The Vietnamese Party leader underscored that the high-level conversation demonstrated the importance that the leadership of both countries placed on the Việt Nam-France Strategic Partnership and their desire to foster cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples and for the sake of peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world in this new period.

General Secretary Trọng highly praised the achievements of the French Government and President Emmanuel Macron in implementing intensive reforms in various economic and social areas to bring more prosperity to their country and ensure the safety and well-being of the French people.

He also commended France's active role in consolidating the European Union and France’s efforts in addressing challenges in Europe and other regions around the world, leading the way in promoting cooperation on various global issues.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Party leader expressed gratitude for France's cooperation and support for Việt Nam over the years, including the valuable assistance to help Việt Nam’s COVID-19 response.

General Secretary Trọng exchanged views with President Macron on Việt Nam’s significant, comprehensive, and outstanding achievements in over 35 years of đổi mới (renewal) as well as the country’s post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery results.

He also informed Macron of Việt Nam’s development goals for the mid-21st century and its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralism, and diversification of relationships.

Party leader Trọng highlighted the importance of peace, friendship, and cooperation, as well as adherence to international law and the United Nations Charter in handling international issues, including the maintenance of peace and security in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea).

Expressing joy over the comprehensive and excellent development of the Việt Nam-France Strategic Partnership, General Secretary Trọng affirmed that both sides had actively implemented the contents of the Joint Statement between the leaders of the two countries during the General Secretary's visit to France in 2018.

He stressed that the two countries enjoyed shared viewpoints on many important international issues, shared major benefits, and a bond in terms of culture and history.

He reaffirmed that Việt Nam placed great priority on the Việt Nam-France Strategic Partnership and supported France's initiatives for peace, cooperation, and development in the region and in the world.

General Secretary Trọng also discussed with President Macron some major orientations and measures to expand and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries.

French President Macron expressed his appreciation for General Secretary Trọng’s positive assessment of France and was impressed by Việt Nam’s important accomplishments in national development.

He affirmed that France valued Việt Nam’s international role and status and the Việt Nam-France Strategic Partnership, stressing that France would always stand with Việt Nam in its pursuit of strategic development goals.

President Macron shared the General Secretary's evaluation of the positive developments in the Strategic Partnership between the two countries over recent years.

He said the high-level talks were an important opportunity for the leadership of both countries to discuss strategic development orientations for the bilateral relationship over the next 20 years.

President Macron expressed his pleasure over the fact that the two countries shared many similarities in their cooperation content.

Both sides agreed to continue enhancing political trust and people-to-people exchanges, as well as promoting breakthroughs in bilateral cooperation in various areas such as defence and security, economy, trade, investment, aviation, energy transition, science and technology, culture, and education.

President Macron affirmed his support for Việt Nam’s enhanced cooperation with the EU, including the implementation of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the ratification of the EU-Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and cooperation in fisheries.

He also expressed the desire for both countries to strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks, especially in the Francophone Community.

Both leaders agreed to direct relevant agencies to actively implement the agreed-upon contents.

On this occasion, General Secretary Trọng reiterated his invitation for President Macron to visit Việt Nam, to which the French President gladly accepted. — VNS