PM’s Special Envoy visits France

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son pays a visit to France as the Special Envoy of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc from March 4-5

Within the framework of the visit, Mr. Son held working sessions with First Vice President of the French National Assembly Carole Bureau-Bonnard, President of a France-Viet Nam Friendship Group Stephanie Do, Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister Emmanuel Lenain, Minister of State attached to the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Baptiste Lemoyne and the Movement of the Enterprises of France. 

The Vietnamese diplomat conveyed PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc’sletter to his French counterpart Edouard Philippe.

In the letter, Mr. Phuc highly valued the fruitful development in Viet Nam-France Strategic Partnership and high-ranking exchanges, especially among senior leaders over the recent years, including Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to France and French PM Edouard Philippe’s visit to Viet Nam in 2018. 

Regarding Viet Nam-EU relations, Mr. Son highlighted the benefits of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in strengthening bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation. 

The agreements will make contributions to promoting connectivity of the EU with the Asia-Pacific region, including ASEAN countries, he added. 

The Vietnamese diplomat expressed thanks to the support of France for the comprehensive development of the cooperative relations between Viet Nam and the  EU and proposed France and other EU’s agencies boost the signing and approving of the EVFTA and IPA in this tenure of the European Parliament. 

Leaders of French Government and National Assembly expressed their delights on Viet Nam’s economic growth, international integration and diplomatic status, stressing that Viet Nam is the crucial partner of France in the Asia-Pacific. 

They expected to continue promoting the cooperative relations in all fields, consenting to enhance close coordination with Vietnamese relevant side to make preparations for high-ranking leaders’ upcoming visits in 2019. 

The French side hoped that the EVFTA will create a framework to boost economic and trade cooperation between Viet Nam and EU, agreeing to soon ink and approve the agreements, adding that France will actively join hand with other nations in EU to accelerate the progress. 

Representatives of the French businesses expressed concerns about business opportunities between Viet Nam and the EU, asserting to continue recommending the French Government soon ink and ratify the EVFTA.   

By Thuy Dung