PM Dung meets with senior French officials

PM Nguyen Tan Dung (L) said a strategic partnership between Vietnam and France will help promote Asia-Europe connectivity (Photo:VGP)

Vietnam attaches great importance to its defence cooperation with France as the two countries have seen important developments in all fields such as delegation exchange, training, army medicine and defence industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said.

Dung made the remarks at a meeting with French Minister of Defence Le Drain in Paris on September 24.

He also suggested both sides increase the sharing of information between defence strategic research agencies, work together in training and the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions.

Le Drain expressed his belief that the upcoming strategic partnership will open new cooperation fields in defence cooperation which he said has become a pillar in the relations between the two countries.

The Minister affirmed that France is willing to assist Vietnam in the UN peacekeeping activities, personnel training, and defence technology.

Meeting with National Secretary of the French Communist Party Pierre Laurent, PM Dung informed his host that Vietnam and France will lift their ties to a strategic partnership level, underpinned by the traditional solidarity, friendship and special cooperation between the Vietnamese and French Communist Parties.

Laurent expressed his wish to further step up cooperation between the two parties via visit exchange to share experience in party building and forge cooperation in other fields.

He said he pins high hope on strong and practical cooperation between the two parties and peoples in the time ahead.

At a reception for General Secretary of the France-Vietnam Society (FVS) Patrice Jorland, Dung told his host that Vietnam views the association as a channel for information exchange to promote mutual trust and understanding between the two peoples.

In such spirit, he said he hopes the FVS will continue working as a bridge to help the French and international friends know more about Vietnam, thus forging closer ties between the two nations.

Jorland made it clear that his association will work for stronger cooperation between the two countries.

The FVS is helping Vietnam ease war consequences by extending its support to Agent Orange/dioxin victims. It also supports Vietnam in dealing with sustainable development issues, poverty reduction and national industrialization.

PM highlights Vietnam-France strategic ties

Addressing the French Institute of International Relations in Paris on September 24, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said a strategic partnership between Vietnam and France shows the maturity of bilateral ties in all areas.

The strategic partnership will open up a new chapter of a mutually respectful and trustworthy relationship and comprehensive cooperation in all realms, from politics-diplomacy, economics, culture, science and technology to security, and national defence, for mutual benefit and for peace and prosperity of the two peoples, he said.

Dung noted that Vietnam-France relationship has stood the test of time and borne fruit for the past 40 years. France was one of the first European countries supporting Vietnam’s Doi Moi (Renewal) and international integration in the early 1990s.  

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent external policy of prioritising cooperative ties with France, considering it one of the key strategic partners.

Both countries have signed a number of important agreements, and maintained regular dialogue mechanisms on economic, national defence, security, and cultural cooperation, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

They have also cooperated well at regional, international and multilateral forums.

Vietnam and France need to frequently renew their cooperation models to develop this special relationship substantially and efficiently, bringing mutual benefits to the two peoples, said Dung.

To this end, he suggested priority be given to key areas of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in politics-diplomacy, security, national defence, economics, development cooperation, culture, education-training, scientific research, and legislation.  

The PM affirmed that the establishment of Vietnam-France strategic partnership will help connect Asia with Europe, fostering Asia-Europe cooperation and ASEAN-EU dialogue.

He spoke of the intense competition for strategic interests, especially among big powers, and stressed there is no room for national egotism in cooperation. Therefore, he suggested reinforcing strategic trust among partner nations to overcome challenges.

The strategic partnership between Vietnam and France, built on trust and historical, cultural and humanitarian values, should be promoted to help create an environment of peace, cooperation and development in Asia and Europe, said Dung.

VNA/VOV