Nguyễn Thúy Anh, president of the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association delivers her speech at the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and France (1973 - 2023) on Monday evening in Hà Nội.—VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and France have continuously made efforts to deepen the relationship and strategic partnership over the past 50 years, working towards "cooperation in peace and sharing in trust".

The past 50 years had proven the uniqueness of the "good fate" relationship between the two peoples that overcame the ups and downs of history, looking forward to the future, trusting and sticking together, becoming each other's important friends and strategic partners, said Nguyễn Thúy Anh, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee for Social Affairs cum president of the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association at the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and France (1973 - 2023) on Monday evening in Hà Nội.

The ceremony was co-organised by the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association.

Anh also said the 1993 visit to Việt Nam by France's President François Mitterrand, the first western president visited Việt Nam, was always mentioned as a diplomatic "breakthrough", marking the success of the Vietnamese policy of "multilateralisation and diversification", and Việt Nam's extensive international integration process, which in the following years often bore the mark of cooperation with France and close coordination between the two countries in international forums, especially at the United Nations, Asia-Europe Cooperation Forum and Francophone.

She added that France was not only Europe's leading economic and trade partner as well as the largest European sponsor for Việt Nam for many decades, but also was the country that Việt Nam had the most vibrant people-to-people exchange relations.

Medicine, education, university teaching, science and technology, culture, tourism were all areas where the people of the two countries were contributing to foster a strong and cohesive relationship, establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, she said.

She said that solidarity and mutual support were the common legacy of the two peoples of Việt Nam and France. It had remained a source of pride and inspiration for the activities of the association over the past time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the peoples of the two countries witnessed solidarity and effective cooperation when the two sides strongly supported each other on masks, vaccines and medical equipment necessary to cope with the pandemic, she said.

Việt Nam and France had a solid basis to build the future of cooperation and sharing together because we shared the dynamism of an emerging Việt Nam in Asia, the superiority in science and technology of France, the creativity of the community of more than 300,000 Vietnamese people in France as well as the community of 11,000 French people in Việt Nam, she said.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership, at a recent high-level phone call on October 20, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to build a vision for the next 20 years for the relationship between the two countries, sharing views on many important issues in bilateral relations as well as peace, security, stability and prosperity in the world, and combating climate change following cooperative programmes, including the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), she said.

Phan Anh Sơn, chairman of Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations at the ceremony to celebrate 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and France on Monday evening in Hà Nội.— VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

Speaking at the ceremony, chairman of the VUFO Phan Anh Sơn said 2023 was a special year, having a very important meaning when the two countries celebrated 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations.

The Governments and peoples of the two countries had always treasured and constantly cultivated the two countries’ relations in all fields and at all levels, he said.

The two countries also always valued and gave high priority to the Việt Nam- France strategic partnership, promoting multi-faceted cooperation in the fields of politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, culture, education and environment, he said.

He believes that the friendship between the two peoples would become increasingly stronger; the coordination among the VUFO, the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association, and Vietnamese people's organisations with French partners and friends would become increasingly effective, contributing to creating a solid foundation to deepen the cooperation between Việt Nam and France in the future.

French Ambassador to Việt Nam Olivier Brochet at the ceremony.— VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

Also at the event, French Ambassador to Việt Nam Olivier Brochet highly appreciated the role of the VUFO, the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association and the people's friendship organisations of the two countries in organising many foreign affairs activities that helped consolidate and develop the friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between the two nations over the past years.

He said that he was willing to support and create favourable conditions for strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

At the celebration, participants enjoyed some famous French music performances staged by Vietnamese artists and students.

Within the framework of the 50th anniversary of Việt Nam - France diplomatic relations, under the sponsorship of the Việt Nam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association and the French Embassy in Việt Nam, the musical Paysage dans l'oubli (Landscape of Oblivion) will be performed at Hồ Gươm Theatre on Tuesday. — VNS