French President Emmanuel Macron holds a working breakfast with Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — France stays ready to support and accompany Việt Nam in delivering on its key commitments in sustainable development, environmental protection, carbon emission reduction, and energy transition through cooperation mechanisms, including the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework, said French President Emmanuel Macron.

Talking with Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà during a working session in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Macron affirmed France’s support for Việt Nam through a EUR500 million concessional loan, specifically earmarked for projects under the JETP framework.

Deputy PM Hà underscored energy transition as a “matter of survival” and a crucial goal shared by both nations.

With fossil fuel reserves dwindling, the shift toward newer, cleaner energy sources, such as renewables, hydrogen and nuclear energy presents ample opportunities for collaboration between policymakers, scientists, and businesses from both countries, he said.

Hà highlighted the longstanding tradition of bilateral energy cooperation, which has yielded tangible successes over the past years. The elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024, he said, provides an important foundation for advancing cooperation in energy transition and carbon emissions reduction.

According to him, Việt Nam’s energy transition extends beyond the energy sector to encompass industry, transportation, and agriculture.

Both sides agreed that public-private partnerships are a vital bridge, enabling shared resources, risk mitigation, and the scaling up of sustainable energy solutions.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà and French President Emmanuel Macron. — VNA/VNS Photo

The discussions were enriched by valuable insights from Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng and Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Lê Xuân Đỉnh, alongside leaders of major energy corporations from both countries, including the Électricité de France (EDF), the Hydrogène de France (HDF), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Việt Nam Electricity (EVN), and the Việt Nam National Industry – Energy Group (Petrovietnam). These enterprises presented concrete proposals to materialise the cooperation frameworks agreed upon by Vietnamese and French leaders.

On the occasion, the French Embassy in Việt Nam hosted a signing ceremony for a series of cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and French agencies and enterprises in the presence of French Minister for the Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Eric Lombard and Vietnamese Deputy Minister Thắng.

Notably among them were a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AFD and EVN for a concessional loan funding the Bắc Ái pumped-storage hydropower project, and another between HDF Energy and Southern Power Corporation to develop decarbonised hydrogen-based electricity generation projects. VNS