
French President Emmanuel Macron to pay state visit to Vietnam
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French President Emmanuel Macron to pay state visit to Vietnam. (Photo: Elisee.Fr) |
At the invitation of President Luong Cuong, President of France Emmanuel Macron and his Spouse will pay a state visit to Vietnam from May 25-27, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 20, 2025.President of France Emmanuel Macron and his Spouse will pay a state visit to Vietnam from May 25-27, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations on April 12, 1973. Prior to that, France had opened a representative office in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam following the Geneva Agreement of 1954, operating as a Delegation. The long-standing history of relations and extensive cooperation in all fields laid a solid foundation for elevating the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2013, marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
In October 2024, General Secretary and President To Lam paid an official visit to France, during which the two countries issued a Joint Declaration on upgrading Vietnam–France relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. France thus became the first EU country to establish this highest level of relationship with Vietnam. The two countries maintain a wide range of bilateral cooperation mechanisms and coordinate closely and support each other at international forums and organizations.
France is Vietnam’s fifth-largest European trading partner, with bilateral trade in 2024 reaching USD 5.42 billion. France ranks 16th out of 147 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 700 valid investment projects and a total registered capital of USD 3.95 billion. Meanwhile, Vietnam has 20 investment projects in France, with a total registered capital of USD 38.93 million.
France is also Vietnam’s leading European bilateral ODA donor. Vietnam ranks second among France’s ODA recipients. From 1993 to 2022, France provided concessional loans and aid worth EUR 16.7 billion—an average of EUR 100 million per year—focused on infrastructure, technology transfer, agriculture, green industry, and finance.
France was the first Western country to appoint a defense attaché to Vietnam (in 1991). Since 1997, the two countries have held annual and alternating Strategic and Defense Cooperation Dialogues. In 2018, they signed an amended agreement on Vietnam–France defense cooperation and issued a Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation for the 2018–2028 period.
Bilateral cooperation in science and technology is carried out through projects funded by France’s Priority Solidarity Fund (FSP). The two countries signed an Intergovernmental Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (March 2007), and an Agreement on Cooperation in the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes (November 2009).
The Vietnamese community in France numbers approximately 350,000 people, comprising diverse groups. Most have acquired French citizenship, are well integrated into society, and maintain a long-standing tradition of attachment and contribution to the homeland.