French Ambassador highlights significance of Vietnamese Prime Minister's participation in UN Ocean Conference

French Ambassador to Viet Nam Oliver Bochet made the above remarks during a recent interview with reporters in Ha Noi.

As a littoral country with a coastline of more than 3,200km, Viet Nam faces ocean-related challenges like climate change, coastal erosion, depletion of marine resources among others, making it meaningful for Viet Nam to join the UN Ocean Conference, said the Ambassador.

The conference will also provide a good chance for Viet Nam and France to affirm their shared values and viewpoints on the international stage, while working together to address global challenges.

On the sidelines of the conference, Viet Nam will chair an event focused on river deltas around the world, including the Mekong Delta, said the diplomat.

France is particularly hopeful that the Vietnamese leader will announce the approval of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). France has already ratified the treaty and encourages Viet Nam and other countries to do the same to facilitate its early entry into force.

France is keen to work closely with both E.U. and non-E.U. partners such as Viet Nam to build a shared understanding of the threats facing the oceans, and to take timely, effective action before the situation becomes irreversible, the diplomat stated.

Regarding bilateral cooperation on sustainable marine resource exploitation, Brochet said Viet Nam and France have long collaborated at the international level, particularly in advancing governance for the high seas, which currently lack comprehensive regulations.

He also highlighted the two countries' long-standing scientific collaboration, especially in marine research. French institutions such as IRD, IFREMER, and CIRAD are working closely with Vietnamese partners on a range of projects. In addition, France is supporting Viet Nam in addressing coastal erosion, with the French Development Agency AFD implementing projects across several Vietnamese provinces to tackle this issue.

France is also assisting Viet Nam in meeting E.U. requirements to lift the 'yellow card' warning imposed on its fisheries sector. As part of French President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to Viet Nam, France announced 700,000 EUR in funding for a pilot initiative using satellite-based monitoring devices on Vietnamese fishing vessels. If successful, the program could be extended across the entire fleet, thereby helping Viet Nam meet E.U. standards.

Looking at broader cooperation, Brochet emphasized that higher education and research have remained pillars of the two countries' partnership for over three decades. In light of Viet Nam's recently issued Resolution 57-NQ/TW, which calls for stronger development of science and higher education, France hopes to deepen collaboration in this area.

During President Macron's visit, the French Tech Summit in Ho Chi Minh City officially launched the France–Viet Nam year of innovation, which will run until the end of 2026. This initiative aims to foster connections among businesses, universities, and research institutions from both countries to jointly address development challenges.

Brochet said one key objective is to increase the number of Vietnamese students in France, which remains relatively modest. At the same time, efforts are needed to further promote Francophone culture in Viet Nam. Beyond the hard sciences, bilateral research collaboration is expanding into areas such as healthcare, biomedicine, transport, nuclear energy, space technology, and applied sciences.

Finally, the ambassador stressed the importance of culture as a cornerstone of the bilateral ties. He noted that cultural exchange continues to enrich both nations and that culture and innovation will serve as vital foundations for future cooperation.