VN, France beef up strategic partnership

VGP - Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh on July 30 had a telephone talk with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on measures to cement and deepen the Viet Nam-France strategic partnership.

July 30, 2014 8:52 PM GMT+7

Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh

The two sides agreed to boost delegation exchange of all levelsl; strengthen their cooperation in various areas of economics, defence, construction, energy, education and training, and culture.

Both sides also lauded the success of the Vietnamese Culture Year in France.

Deputy PM Minh conveyed Vietnamese top leaders’ invitation to French President Francois Hollande to visit Viet Nam.

He also proposed that France advise the European Union to approve a framework agreement on Partnership and Cooperation with Viet Nam and finalize the Viet Nam-EU free trade agreement within 2014.

Deputy PM Minh said he hopes the two countries will coordinate closely in organising the 21 st session of the United Nation Conference of the Parties on Climate Change scheduled for Paris in 2015.

They also talked regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea issue.

For his part, FM Fabius showed his support for the settlement of East Sea disputes through dialogues and peaceful measures./.

By Kim Loan