Strengthening Viet Nam-France relations in a changing global context
On the eve of the visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to France, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has shed light on the goals, meanings of this important event and the vision for Viet Nam – France relations in the new context.
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| Ambassador of Viet Nam to France Dinh Toan Thang. (Photo in courtesy of the owner) |
Dear Ambassador, could you shed light on the significance of PM Chinh’s official visit to France?
PM Chinh’s official visit to France is his first official, bilateral visit to Europe in his new term.
It shows the continuous implementation of the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification, multilateralization of international relations as stated in the 13th National Party Congress Resolution. In such, the Congress further stressed the need to actively continue to improve upon Viet Nam’s relations with major, important partners.
PM Chinh’s visit occurs at a time when the bilateral Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and France has continued to yield positive results. The two sides are now facing urgent needs to adapt to major changes in the regional and global landscapes as well as the development goals.
Therefore, the visit is a good opportunity for both sides to exchange and agree upon measures for further deepening and widening the scope of Viet Nam-France’s Strategic Partnership in various sectors, including politics-diplomacy, security-defense, economic-trade, science-technology, education-training and healthcare.
It is time for both countries to plan for the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership in 2023.
Through the meetings between PM Chinh with leaders of international organizations residing in France including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) during the visit, Viet Nam could further promote cooperation with these organizations.
In order to translate the Conclusion No. 12 of the Politburo on overseas Vietnamese affairs into reality in the new situation, PM Chinh has had meetings with the overseas Vietnamese community in France and Europe, in which he appreciates their positive contributions back to the country, especially in supporting the handling of the pandemic and post-pandemic recovery.
Could you elaborate on some landmarks during the 48-year journey of Viet Nam – France diplomatic relations?
After 48 years since its establishment, Viet Nam-France diplomatic relations (1973-2021) have undergone various development stages to reach its current level of comprehensive, diversified cooperation.
The two countries have been considered as major partners in their respective foreign policies. France has become one of Viet Nam’s leading partners in Europe and the world. The Government of France has put Viet Nam in very high regard in its Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific’s strategies and policies.
The establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2013 not only reflected the close relations, but also demonstrated the desire and determination of both sides to deepen and widen the bilateral relations upon a lasting, steady vision.
Official visits to France by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (March 2018); National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (April 2019); official visit to Viet Nam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (November 2018); letter from French President Emmanuel Macron to congratulate on the success of the 13th National Party Congress, continuing exchanges between President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Jean Castex, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Yves Le Drian… showed the increasingly close bilateral relations.
Among those, economic cooperation has yielded impressive results. France is Europe’s leading ODA provider to Viet Nam, while Viet Nam ranked 2nd among countries receiving France’s ODA in Asia, with pledged capital amounting to 18.4 billion USD.
Bilateral trade turnover has tripled and continued to increase from 1.6 billion USD (2009) to 5.3 billion USD (2019).
Furthermore, the two countries have implemented diversified exchange and education-training cooperation programs, with hundreds of agreements signed between both countries’ universities and research centers. There are currently 7,000 Vietnamese students in France.
Notably, cooperation in health sector has become pivotal, with more than 30 French-Vietnamese health associations.
Local provinces’ cooperation has also expanded with the participation of more than 24 French provinces and 33 Vietnamese provinces and cities through 11 decentralized cooperation conferences held over the past few years.
Moreover, both sides maintained close collaboration and cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asean Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU), as well as in addressing international problems and in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summits, OIF…
Moreover, both countries shared similar opinions and ideas in respect of international law, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, freedom of the seas as well as in promoting peace, security and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Moreover, Viet Nam and France also closely collaborated with the international community in tackling global issues and guaranteeing sustainable development.
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| Viet Nam received 672,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses sponsored by the Government of France through COVAX Facility. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
How have Viet Nam and France mutually supported each other to overcome difficulties and challenges posed by the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic?
The Covid-19 pandemic has posed major challenges to the entire world, including Viet Nam and France. In such context, cooperation in health sector has continued to be a priority in bilateral relations.
The government and people of Viet Nam donated a large number of medical masks to France at the beginning of the pandemic while the government and people of France shared 672,000 vaccine COVID-19 doses to Viet Nam through COVAX Facility.
Developed, diversified networks of cooperation over the years between both countries’ medical partners have positively and substantially supported the prevention and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Viet Nam.
Experts and doctors in Viet Nam, as well as French, Vietnamese doctors and experts working in France, hospitals and medical facilities, medical research centers and pharmaceutical companies have quickly joined the efforts in exchanging knowledge on preventing pandemic and treating COVID-19 patients, as well as providing each other with specialized medical equipment, along with building related strategies, medical policies.
You said that shared 672,000 vaccine COVID-19 doses to Viet Nam through COVAX Facility. Could you give your take on the vaccine diplomacy of the Embassy?
Since the pandemic outbreak, recognizing the urgent need to quickly prevent and handle the COVID-19 pandemic domestically, the Vietnam Embassy in France has always considered vaccine diplomacy to be among its utmost important missions.
In such context, the Embassy has firmly implemented measures, such as mobilizing local resources and establishing local connections to support the Motherland with vaccines, treatment drugs and medical equipment.
Working closely with French competent authorities and local medical associations, the Embassy has organized and collaborated on transporting numerous vaccines, ventilators and specialized medical equipment to Viet Nam.
As the COVID-19 pandemic remains a major challenge, the Embassy continues to approach vaccine diplomacy comprehensively, promoting, searching for cooperation in researching, producing and transferring vaccine as well as treatment technology, exchanging experience in consulting, drafting strategies, policies in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, improving cooperation in education-training for both sides’ medical staffs.
At the moment, the Embassy is actively promoting connections with French and European pharmaceutical companies, as well as rallying support and contributions from Vietnamese communities and local French to assist Viet Nam in completing its dual goals of preventing the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting socio-economic development.
As the world is heading toward robust post-pandemic growth, what are areas of importance to Viet Nam – France relations in the near future?
Facing newly posed challenges, Viet Nam and France both affirmed the necessity to find unexplored direction of cooperation to fulfill current goals of the two countries.
As a result, aside from the major pillars of cooperation established in the Strategic Partnership, the two countries have placed importance on cooperation in health, trade and investment. This is going to create favorable conditions for effective prevention and handling of the pandemic while promoting post-pandemic economic recovery, as well as deepen the bilateral connection in the context of major shifts in the global economy.
Both countries’ leaders will discuss further cooperation in providing vaccines, treatment drugs, medical equipment and others during the visit.
The PM will also hold meetings, exchanges with local experts, doctors, research centers and pharmaceutical companies for further cooperation.
Notably, cooperation is not restricted on a bilateral level, but it is also expanded to multilateral mechanisms, in United Nations’ specialized organizations, as well as EU-ASEAN, France-ASEAN cooperation.
On the economic front, PM Pham Minh Chinh will discuss with French senior leaders about promoting cooperation mechanism, supporting measures of government and competent authority. He will also meet with leading French corporations to promote cooperation in trade and investment.
Some areas that are France’s forte, while remaining important to Viet Nam’s development goals, will be prioritized for further promotion, such as: Advanced technology, digital economy and transformation, health and pharmaceuticals, civil aerospace, renewable energy, infrastructure construction including public transportation, airports, seaports, high quality agriculture, food processing, environment and sustainable development…
Both countries’ agencies and businesses will also focus on improving on the effective implementation of the EU – Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), capitalizing on opportunities from such Agreement.
Thank you, Ambassador!
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