Member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn paid a visit to France on Monday and Tuesday as a special envoy of Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.– VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI – Member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn paid a visit to France on Monday and Tuesday as a special envoy of Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

During the trip, the Deputy FM held meetings with First Vice President of the French National Assembly Carole Bureau-Bonnard; head of the France – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Stephanie Do; diplomatic adviser to the Prime Minister Emmanuel Lenain; Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne; and representatives from the Movement of the Enterprises of France MEDEF.

Sơn delivered to the French side PM Phúc’s letter to his French counterpart Edouard Philippe.

The diplomat praised the fruitful growth of the Việt Nam – France strategic partnership and exchanges of the two countries’ officials at all levels. He specially mentioned the official visit to France by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng as well as the trip to Việt Nam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in 2018, along with several high-level visits scheduled for 2019.

Regarding Việt Nam – EU relations, Deputy FM Sơn highlighted the benefits of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) to bilateral economic, trade and investment co-operation. The pacts will help boost connectivity between the EU and Asia-Pacific region, particularly ASEAN member states, he added.

Appreciating France’s support for the comprehensive development of Việt Nam – EU ties, Sơn called on the country and EU competent agencies to push for the early signing and ratification of the EVFTA and IPA within the current tenure of the European Parliament, thus quickly realising their potential benefits.

French government and parliament leaders expressed their impression of Việt Nam’s recent achievements in economic growth, integration, and external relations.

They stressed that Việt Nam is an important partner of France in Asia-Pacific, and voiced hopes for stronger collaboration across multiple fields. They agreed to work together with the Vietnamese side in preparing for visits by high-ranking officials of the two nations this year.

Agreeing on the benefits of the EVFTA to Việt Nam – EU co-operation in economy trade, and investment, the French side said they will join EU member countries in soon making the agreement a reality.

Meanwhile, representatives of the French business community showed their interest in opportunities that the EVFTA will bring about, stating that they will work for the early signing and ratification of the pact in their country. — VNS