General Secretary To Lam receives French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet - Photo: VNA

According to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the reception, General Secretary To Lam highly appreciated Ambassador Olivier Brochet's affection and contributions to the country and people of Vietnam, as well as to promoting Vietnam - France relations.

The General Secretary said that the two sides need to continue to coordinate closely to maintain and strengthen the multilateral trade system. At the same time, they need to strongly promote bilateral trade and further open up each other's markets, especially in the context of the world economy facing many difficulties and challenges, and increasing international trade competition.

The General Secretary agreed with the French Ambassador’s proposals on effectively implementing and making good use of the great opportunities from the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). In addition, he agreed to promote cooperation in areas of both sides’ strengths such as infrastructure, transportation, renewable energy, green energy, science and technology, innovation, aerospace, and training of high-quality human resources.

On this occasion, he suggested that the two countries continue to deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as health, culture, conservation, museums, historical memories - archives, cooperation between localities, etc.

Ambassador Olivier Brochet thanked the General Secretary for taking the time to receive him and suggested that the two countries continue to take specific steps to bring the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework into depth and practicality.

He affirmed that Vietnam is one of France's important priority partners in the Asia-Pacific region, as demonstrated by increasingly vibrant visits and exchanges of delegations at all levels and the expansion of Vietnam-France cooperation mechanisms in many fields.

Agreeing with General Secretary To Lam's statements on the importance of the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) for businesses of the two countries, the French Ambassador said he would urge the French National Assembly to soon ratify this agreement, as well as urge the EC to remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnam's seafood exports.

General Secretary To Lam and the French Ambassador agreed to continue strengthening cooperation at multilateral forums and international organizations, promoting multilateralism, respecting international law, and addressing global challenges.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the French Ambassador emphasized that France and the EU support the stance of Vietnam and ASEAN on resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of compliance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), contributing to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of aviation and navigation in the region.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dai-su-phap-se-thuc-day-quoc-hoi-som-phe-chuan-hiep-dinh-bao-ho-dau-tu-viet-nam-eu-20250417212852182.htm