The visit made by French PM Francois Fillon to Vietnam today is an event of special significance because Mr. Francois Fillon is the first French PM to pay an official visit to the Southeast Asian country since the diplomatic ties were established between the two countries.
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French PM Francois Fillon (R) and his counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung (L) inspect guards of honor in his welcoming ceremony in Hanoi, November 12, 2009
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In their talks following the welcoming ceremony, PM Nguyen Tan Dung was convinced that the visit will create a new impetus for further development of the cooperation between Vietnam and France both at new depths and heights.
Mr. Dung stated that Vietnam always considers France one of its special partners in Europe which occupies an important status in Vietnam’s diplomatic policies and cooperation activities.
Expecting greater presence of France in Vietnam in the future, the host PM pledged that Vietnam would function as a bridge for France and ASEAN countries.
PM Dung lauded France for naming Vietnam among 24 prioritized countries for trade promotion and asked France to facilitate the penetration of Vietnamese leather footwear into its domestic market and Europe as well.
He also suggested France to help to train 400 lecturers for the University of Sciences and Technologies.
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The delegations of Vietnamese and French governments hold talks, Hanoi, November 12, 2009
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French PM Francois Fillon stated that the French Development Agency (AFD) would assist some large-scale projects in Vietnam, such as building metro systems; power generation; preserving the Long Bien Bridge; and responding to climate change.
France will send its representatives to Vietnam for a bilateral meeting scheduled at the end of this year.
After their talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of several agreements and pacts for cooperation in such fields as education, nuclear development for civic purposes, culture, and national defense.
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Agreements and documents are signed between Vietnam and France, Hanoi, November 12, 2009
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Under the motto “Traditional friendship, comprehensive and long-term cooperation, and trust,” the relations between Vietnam and France have been flourishing well.
Vietnam is now one of few recipients enjoying all three kinds of financial aid provided by France, namely ODA; AFD preferential loans, and Priority Solidarity Fund (FSP) loans.
With over €2 billion, France is the second biggest ODA donor for Vietnam, after Japan only. In terms of trade and FDI, it is the 3rd partner and the top investor in Europe. The trade turnover between the two countries last year reached nearly US $1.8 billion. French investors are now running 216 projects worth of over US $3 billion.