Bui Thanh Son, member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister, paid a working visit to France from March 4 to 5, in the role of special envoy of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.


During his stay, Son and the Vietnamese delegation had meetings with Carole Bureau-Bonnard, Vice President of the National Assembly of France; Stephanie Do, head of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group; Emmanuel Lenain, Diplomatic Adviser to the French Prime Minister; Jean Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France; and the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF).

Through the French side, the Vietnamese official extended PM Phuc’s letter to his French counterpart Edouard Philippe, speaking highly of the fine development of the Vietnam-France strategic partnership and the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, between the two countries in recent years, notably the official visit to France made by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and the visit to Vietnam by French PM Edouard Philippe in 2018, as well as high-level visits to be made in 2019.

Regarding the Vietnam-European Union (EU) relations, Son emphasised the benefits of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two sides, stating that these agreements would contribute to facilitating the EU’s connection with the Asia-Pacific region, including the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).


Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son

He expressed his gratitude for France’s support for the all-around development of the Vietnam-EU ties, asking France and the EU’s bodies to promote the early signing and ratification of the EVFTA and IPA during the current term of the European Parliament (EP) in order to quickly realise the benefits that the agreements could bring.

Leaders of agencies of the French government and parliament expressed their impression on Vietnam’s achievements in economic growth and integration, as well as the country’s foreign position in recent years, emphasising that Vietnam is an important partner of France in the Asia-Pacific region.

They voiced their wish to continue strengthening the bilateral cooperation across various areas, while agreeing to work closely with the Vietnamese side to thoroughly prepare for the visits of the two countries’ senior leaders in 2019.

The French side evaluated that the EVFTA would create a framework for the acceleration of economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the EU. They agreed on the need to promptly sign and ratify the agreement, adding that France will actively coordinate with the EU member countries to facilitate this process.

Representatives of French businesses expressed their interest in investment and business opportunities between Vietnam and the EU brought by the EVFTA, and affirmed that they would continue to recommend the French government to soon sign and ratify the deal.


Source: NDO

Related Topics


Indian Ambassador to Vietnam pays working visit to Hoa Binh province

A delegation of the Indian Embassy in Vietnam led by Ambasador Sandeep Arya paid a working trip to Hoa Binh province on April 1, aiming to explore cooperation opportunities. The delegation was received by Nguyen Phi Long, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee, along with Nguyen Van Chuong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and representatives from various departments and agencies.

Provincial Party officials inspect Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway project

A delegation from the Standing Board of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee led by Nguyen Phi Long, an alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, on March 20 inspected the progress of the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau expressway project in Mai Chau district.

Hoa Binh province boosts development of science, technology, innovation

The Steering Committee for the Development of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation of Hoa Binh province convened a meeting on March 11 to deploy key tasks.

Lac Son district reaches high consensus on organisational restructuring

Lac Son district is reorganising and streamlining its organisational apparatus and the contingent of officials, civil servants and public employees in line with Resolution 18 issued by the 12th Party Central Committee.

Provincial public security restructured for greater efficiency

The provincial Department of Public Security has reorganised its structure to enhance operational efficiency and meet the evolving demands of the new era. In line with the Resolution No. 25 of the Central Public Security Party Committee, the move aims to streamline personnel, standardise leadership roles, and strengthen the police force’s capacity while creating better conditions for modernising equipment.

Hoa Binh seeks public input on draft documents of 18th provincial Party Congress

The subcommittee for documents of the 18th Hoa Binh provincial Party Congress, the 2025 - 2030 term, convened on March 3 to review and incorporate public feedback on the congress’s draft documents. The meeting was chaired by Nguyen Phi Long, an alternate member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee. It was attended by senior provincial officials, including Bui Thi Minh, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council; Bui Duc Hinh, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; other members of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee; and members of the document subcommittee.