Party chief urges France to further bolster Việt Nam – EU ties

April 17,ệtNam–doi hinh juventus 2025 - 22:20 Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnamese top leader advocated for deeper collaboration in health care, culture, heritage preservation, museum, historical memory and archiving, as well as people-to-people exchange.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm (right) and French Ambassador to Việt Nam Olivier Brochet at their talks on April 17. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has called on France, a key and influential member of the European Union (EU), to further bolster Việt Nam–EU relations, contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

During a reception in Hà Nội on Thursday for French Ambassador to Việt Nam Olivier Brochet, Lâm highlighted France’s role as the first EU nation to establish a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Việt Nam, a testament to its commitment to strengthening bilateral friendship and cooperation.

He expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in trade and investment, core pillars of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and urged joint efforts to uphold the multilateral trading system, boost bilateral trade, and further open markets.

Welcoming Brochet’s proposals to leverage the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Lâm endorsed cooperation in high-potential sectors, including infrastructure, transportation, renewable energy, sci-tech, innovation, aerospace, and workforce training. He also advocated for deeper collaboration in health care, culture, heritage preservation, museum, historical memory and archiving, as well as people-to-people exchange.

Brochet called for concrete steps to advance the newly established cooperation framework, highlighting France’s desire to continue accompanying Việt Nam in its development journey in the years ahead.

He hailed Việt Nam as France’s priority partner in the Asia-Pacific, citing frequent high-level visits and exchanges and expanding cooperation mechanisms across a wide range of sectors.

Agreeing with Lâm's remarks about the importance of the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), he affirmed support for an early ratification of the EVIPA by the French National Assembly and pledged to push forward the European Commission’s removal of yellow card warning on Vietnam’s seafood exports.

Host and guest vowed to further increase cooperation at multilateral forums and international organisations, with a shared commitment to promoting multilateralism, respecting international law, and jointly addressing global challenges.

On the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, the diplomat reiterated France and the EU’s support for Việt Nam and ASEAN’s stance on the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), contributing to peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region. — VNS