Emmanuel Macron' State visit to Viet Nam aims to expand bilateral ties
VGP - The upcoming state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron provides an excellent opportunity for the leaders of both nations to align on concrete next steps for implementing the frameworks outlined in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, said Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang
This is the French President's first visit to Viet Nam since he took office in 2017 and was re-elected in 2022. It holds special significance for the bilateral relations, especially following the upgrade of the ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in October 2024 during Party General Secretary To Lam's official visit to the European country.
The upcoming state visit presents an excellent opportunity for the leaders of both nations to align on concrete next steps for implementing the frameworks outlined in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The signing of new cooperation agreements during the visit will serve as both a catalyst and a legal foundation for future collaboration in the years ahead.
It marked increase in exchanges and tightened cooperation, including the launch of new dialogue mechanisms such as the inaugural dialogue on ocean and maritime issues between the two foreign ministries. Amid a rapidly evolving global landscape, the two nations are intensifying coordination on international issues of shared concern.
Ambassador Thang stressed that defense-security continues to serve as a strategic pillar of the partnership, reflecting the mutual trust between the two countries.
In terms of economic and trade cooperation, he highlighted growing interest from French businesses and institutions in Viet Nam. The French Development Agency (AFD) is accelerating new projects related to clean energy and energy security. Several French business delegations and government officials have visited Viet Nam to explore opportunities in major infrastructure and energy initiatives.
Bilateral trade in 2024 recorded an impressive 11 percent increase to reach over US$5.4 billion.
Healthcare collaboration is also emerging as a bright spot, with the recent partnership between Viet Nam's VNVC Vaccination Center and French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi on vaccine production following the elevation of bilateral ties.
Locality-to-locality cooperation continues to flourish, with preparations underway for the 13th Viet Nam–France Decentralized Cooperation Conference, sheduled to be held in France in 2026./.
