Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Emmanuel Lenain, Director for Asia and Oceania at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (Photo: VNA) In his meeting withLenain in Hanoi on April 28, Son lauded the positive progress of theVietnam-France relationship in all fields since the two countries set up astrategic partnership in 2013, while expressing his delight at the fruitfuloutcomes of bilateral political consultations.
He highly evaluated achievementsin economic cooperation between the two countries over the past years, expectingthat their economic ties would see new breakthroughs, especially in technologytransfer and sustainable development in infrastructure, renewable energy, aerospace,satellite, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture, food industry,environment, and urban development.
On the occasion, theDeputy FM welcomed France’s participation in Vietnam Foodexpo 2017 in Ho Chi Minhin November as a honourary guest.
For his part, Lenain praisedVietnam’s role in Southeast Asian and affirmed that the French Governmentconsiders Vietnam as a prioritised partner in the region.
He said France supportsVietnam’s efforts in strengthening comprehensive relations with the EuropeanUnion (EU) and will work closely with Vietnam to speed up the signing of theVietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
At the meeting, the twoofficials spoke highly of the close and effective cooperation between the twoministries and agreed to organise the next strategic security and defencedialogue between the two foreign ministries and defence ministries in France in2018.
They also agreed toimplement specific cooperation plans to make bilateral ties more practical andeffective in celebration of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic tiesand the 5th anniversary of strategic partnership in 2018.
The two sides alsopledged to continue coordinating together closely and support each other atmultilateral forums, especially at the UN and within the framework of theAsia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEAN-EU cooperation.
Regarding the East Seaissue, both sides affirmed their respect for the law-based principle in seasand oceans, reiterated their commitments to maintaining aviation and navigationfreedom, and stressed the need to settle disputes in the East Sea throughpeaceful measures, including diplomatic and legal processes on the basis ofobserving international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982(UNCLOS).
Earlier on the sameday, Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Europe Le Dung andEmmanuel Lenain co-chaired a Vietnam-France political consultation.-VNA
VNA
