Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam on November 5 afternoon (local time) left Paris, concluding his official visit to France from November 3 at the invitation of his French counterpart Jean Castex.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA)

During his stay, the PM held talks with his French counterpart Jean Castex, and had meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the Senate Gerald Larcher, President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand, and Fabien Roussel, National Secretary of the French Communist Party.

At meetings, all issues raised by both sides were reached high consensus. Both sides affirmed their determination to deepen the countries’ strategic partnership.

Viet Nam and France affirmed solidarity in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of promoting fair, equal access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

The two countries reaffirmed their wish to bolster cooperation amid common challenges like climate change, and showed their resolve to deepen collaboration in culture, especially French teaching, and in law and justice. They underlined that science and technology as well as tertiary education are among priority areas in bilateral cooperation.

The two countries’ leaders agreed to continue promoting people-to-people exchange, increase collaboration between localities of Viet Nam and France.

The French side pledged to accompany Viet Nam in sustainable development, especially within major infrastructure projects. They reaffirmed their wish to continue partnering together in satellite and use of satellite images in various areas such as agriculture, hydrometeorology, climate change response and disaster risk prevention.

Viet Nam welcomed France’s investments in logistics and seaport infrastructure, facilitation for trade between the two countries and commitment to maintaining cooperation in the field to prevent supply chain interruption; and collaboration in sustainable urban area, particularly in Hanoi with transport, urban planning and wholesale market projects in the future.

On international and regional issues, Viet Nam and France agreed to exert efforts to work toward enhancing partnerships between the European Union and Viet Nam and the EU and ASEAN within the framework of the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy and France’s tenure as President of the EU in the first half of 2022.

Viet Nam and France reaffirmed full respect for the 1982 United Nations on Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the peaceful settlement of disputes, refraining from acts that use or threat to use force. They affirmed the importance of maintaining safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in all seas and oceans, especially in the East Sea, on the basis of abiding by principles of international law.

Also within the visit's framework, PM Chinh received many leading enterprises of France and Europe and attended the France-Viet Nam Business Forum.

He witnessed signing and handover ceremonies of nearly 40 cooperation and economic agreements in multiple fields, notably those of great significance and values such as a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Justice of Viet Nam and the Council of State of France for 2021-26 and an administrative agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training and French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation on the recognition of certificates and training process, along with memoranda of understanding between Vietnamese airlines and Safran Group.

One of priorities that the Vietnamese PM touched on during his meetings was cooperation between the two countries in health care, especially pandemic prevention and control and development of preventive medicine.

He met with Managing Director of the COVAX Facility Aurélia Nguyen, physicians and medical experts in France and visited the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

The PM received leaders of the France-Viet Nam Friendship Association (AAFV), Vietnamese Ambassadors to European nations, staff at the embassies and overseas Vietnamese (OV) in France and Europe.

The Party and State always view the OVs as an inseparable part and a driving force of the country’s development, which has been demonstrated via the Politburo's Resolution No.36, Directive No.45 and Conclusion No.12-KL/TW on the OV affairs in the new situation, he affirmed.

He said the OVs are expected to uphold solidarity in the countries they reside, contribute to realising the external policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralism; active and proactive international integration; and being a friend, a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the international community.

Source: VNA