Johannesburg, November 23, 2025 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday during the G20 Summit in South Africa, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships, climate action, and economic cooperation.
In his meeting with President Macron, PM Chính stressed that nurturing and advancing Vietnam–France relations is both a strategic necessity and a deliberate choice for Vietnam. He proposed continued exchanges of delegations at all levels, particularly at the high level, and expressed his anticipation of welcoming the French Prime Minister to Vietnam in the near future.
The leaders also discussed the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the growing impact of climate change, which have caused significant natural disasters worldwide. President Macron extended his sympathies to the Vietnamese people affected by recent storms and floods. Both leaders highlighted the need for shared responsibility and closer cooperation to prevent, mitigate, and recover from the consequences of climate change.
Reflecting on his state visit to Vietnam in May 2025, President Macron recalled the successful implementation of agreements in areas including economy, trade, science, technology, and defense. He emphasized the importance of finalizing and adopting the action plan to implement the joint statement on the Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Highlighting economic cooperation potential, PM Chính urged France to work closely with Vietnam to ensure the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He also encouraged the prompt ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and requested that the European Commission lift its “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
On regional and global matters of mutual interest, the two leaders discussed concerns regarding global trade, cybersecurity, and other non-traditional security challenges. PM Chính welcomed France’s initiatives in cybersecurity and agreed to strengthen bilateral collaboration in this field.
President Macron appreciated the Vietnamese assessments and reaffirmed the importance of unity and close cooperation between the two nations. He stressed the need to enhance strategic autonomy amid global political and trade volatility while collaborating with partners to uphold multilateralism and international law.
