HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam and France are stepping up efforts to deepen their strategic partnership, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng said at a reception for visiting French President Francois Hollande in Hà Nội yesterday.
The Party leader confirmed that Việt Nam always prioritises developing the friendship and co-operation with France, suggesting the two countries enhance multi-faceted collaboration, experience sharing, and mutual support at international forums while maintaining the current co-operation mechanisms.
He proposed France make further affiliation in potential fields such as economics, trade, investment, and technological transfer, especially in agriculture, as well as climate change adaptation, culture and education.
Both nations should strengthen co-ordination in dealing with global issues and in a joint effort to ensure regional peace, stability, and overflight and maritime security and freedom, he said.
President Francois Hollande agreed that the two sides would increase political ties, cultural exchanges and education, particularly the teaching of French in Việt Nam.
Việt Nam and France are set to promote co-operation in economics, trade, aerospace, renewable energy, agriculture, and food processing. The French President also showed support for the development of rapport among localities and Francophone communities and some applicable co-operation mechanisms in Africa and other regions in the world.
He shared international security challenges for Việt Nam and France and said he backed aviation and navigation freedom as well as the settlement of maritime disputes via peaceful means and international law.
The same day, the President was received by National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, during which he said France wanted to ratchet up cooperative ties with Việt Nam and pledged to maintain official development assistance (ODA) provision for the Southeast Asian country.
He revealed that France would expand collaboration in the fields of climate change, information technology, culture and education while helping Việt Nam build and modernise cities and diversify energy resources.
He suggested the two countries’ legislative agencies increase high-level delegation exchanges and expressed his belief that the National Assembly of Việt Nam would provide the best legal assistance to implement effectively the bilateral cooperation agreements.

For her part, Ngân thanked France for helping Việt Nam build a climate change adaptation strategy and implement the UN Agenda through 2030.
She highlighted co-operation among localities as a unique feature in the bilateral relations, citing 38 French localities set up cooperative ties with 18 Vietnamese cities and provinces.
The Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ is actively preparing for the 10th co-operation conference between Vietnamese and French localities.
The top legislator thanked French parliamentarians for actively coordinating with Việt Nam at the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) and the seventh Asia-Pacific meeting of the Francophone Parliamentary Assembly (APF).
She suggested the French Government increase scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in France, noting that over 7,000 are pursuing education in the European country.
On the day, the two countries issued a joint statement on President Francois Hollande’s state visit to Việt Nam from September 5-7, asserting economic co-operation continuously remains a prioritised pillar in the bilateral ties. — VNS