Paris, June 11, 2025 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính held bilateral talks with his French counterpart François Bayrou in Paris on Monday afternoon (local time), following his participation in the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in Nice.
Welcoming the Vietnamese leader, Prime Minister Bayrou expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s active participation and constructive contributions to the UNOC 3, especially through the initiatives highlighted in PM Chính’s keynote address and the 15 voluntary commitments made by the Vietnamese delegation. He affirmed that PM Chính’s ongoing visit, following the recent state visit to Vietnam by French President Emmanuel Macron, reflects the substantive and effective development of bilateral ties.
Congratulating France on the successful hosting of the UNOC 3, PM Chính voiced support for France’s leadership role in promoting international cooperation and enhancing the sustainable management and conservation of marine resources.
Addressing bilateral relations, PM Chính affirmed that France remains a key partner in Vietnam’s foreign policy toward Europe and the European Union. He underscored that his visit demonstrates Vietnam’s determination to concretise the contents of the Việt Nam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister also briefed his French counterpart on Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements and its aspirations to become a modern industrialised nation with upper-middle income status by 2030 and a high-income developed socialist country by 2045.
Emphasising the immense potential for bilateral cooperation, PM Chính highlighted aerospace, urban transport, nuclear energy, and manufacturing technology as priority sectors where French expertise aligns with Vietnam’s development needs. He stated that such collaboration would serve as a key driver of Vietnam’s growth and investment appeal in the new development phase.
For his part, Prime Minister Bayrou commended Vietnam’s rapid socio-economic progress and its increasingly important role on the international stage. He reaffirmed France’s commitment to advancing cooperation with Vietnam in both traditional and emerging sectors, aligned with the strategic nature of their partnership.
In view of global uncertainties, the two leaders stressed the need for closer coordination to contribute to peace, stability, and sustainable development in both regions and the broader international community.
They pledged to effectively implement outcomes of recent high-level exchanges, enhance political trust through regular dialogue and high-level visits, and consider establishing new mechanisms to deepen sectoral cooperation.
The two sides affirmed the strategic importance of defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral relations.
In the economic sphere, both leaders expressed determination to foster trade liberalisation, expand market access, reduce dependence on third-party sources, and ensure the stability of global supply chains. PM Chính called on France to accelerate the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to collaborate closely in the effective implementation of the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). He also encouraged French investment in Vietnam’s strategic sectors, particularly in automobiles and logistics.
The leaders agreed on six major measures to advance bilateral cooperation: strengthening political trust; reinforcing defence and security collaboration; promoting economic and investment ties on a practical and equitable basis; achieving breakthroughs in science and technology – particularly in space science and nuclear energy; expanding strategic infrastructure cooperation; and deepening cooperation in traditional sectors.
They also agreed to promote cultural, educational, tourism, and healthcare exchanges, and to further facilitate people-to-people ties. PM Chính expressed appreciation for France’s support to the Vietnamese community and requested continued favourable conditions for their integration and contribution to bilateral friendship.
On international and regional issues, the two sides shared common views on enhancing international solidarity, peacefully resolving disputes, and upholding international law.
Regarding the East Sea (South China Sea), both sides emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight. They reiterated the need to resolve disputes through peaceful means based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and rejected the use or threat of force.
On this occasion, PM Chính invited France to send a high-level delegation to the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, scheduled to be hosted by Vietnam in Hà Nội in October 2025. He also extended an invitation to PM Bayrou to visit Vietnam at an early date, which the French Prime Minister accepted with pleasure.
Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. They also observed the signing of a tripartite cooperation agreement among the Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, France’s Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), and the French Development Agency (AFD) to promote sustainable mineral resource management and enhance geological knowledge for the energy transition.
