Trade dialogue serves for VN-France strategic partnership
VGP – The high-level economic dialogue between Viet Nam and France is expected to lay a foundation for strategic partnership in trade and investment areas, said visiting French Foreign Trade Minister Nicole Bricq.
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Deputy PM Vu Van Ninh (R) and French Foreign Trade Minister Nicole Bricq, Ha Noi, April 9, 2013 – Photo: VGP/Xuan Tuyen |
The guest leader expressed France’s top leaders’ aspiration to set up strategic partnership with Viet Nam.
So far, Viet Nam has gained a trade surplus with France, thus, the latter hopes to achieve a trade balance with the Southeast Asian country, according to Minister Nicole Bricq.
Welcoming the French Minister, Deputy PM Ninh said that the dialogue is a practical activity to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties and welcome the French Year in Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Year in France.
The dialogue also offered an important forum for businessmen and officials to meet and seek cooperative opportunities, noted Mr. Ninh.
Both the host and the guest leaders agreed that the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement would open up chances for goods and service circulations and bring about respective benefits.
Deputy PM Ninh asserted that Viet Nam would accelerate the negotiations but the EU side needs to remove too high standards in order to help Viet Nam narrow the gap with developed countries./.
Earlier on the same day, the first Viet Nam France Annual High-Level Economic Dialogue took place in Ha Noi with an aim to discuss ways to enhance bilateral economic ties, especially in trade and investment.
According to Minister Nicole Bricq, the French delegation to Viet Nam consisted of Government’s officials and representatives of over 100 leading businesses who hoped to seek investment opportunities here./.
By Khanh Phuong
