Top leader’s France visit a milestone in bilateral ties
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his entourage left Orly airport in Paris on October 7 (local time), concluding their successful official visit to France and attendance at the 19th Francophonie Summit from October 3-7 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and his entourage left Orly airport in Paris on October 7 (local time), concluding their successful official visit t𒉰o F🍌rance and attendance at the 19th Francophonie Summit from October 3-7 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Throughout the summit, Lam attended a series of high-level events, including the official welcome ceremony hosted by President Macron and the Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), the opening and plenary sessions focused on "Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship", the Francophonie Business Forum on innovation, and the award ceremony for exemplary Francophone enterprises.
He also took the opportunity to meet with prominent Vietnamese intellectuals from Francophone countries, staff from the Vietnamese Embassy and other agencies in France, and members of the Vietnamese community. He also held meetings with leaders of several countries, international organisations and foreign businesses.
The concluding session of the 19th Francophonie Summit saw the approval of several important documents, including the Villers-Cotterêts Joint Declaration and a resolution on the political situation and peacebuilding in the Francophone space.
It also welcomed Ghana and the Republic of Cyprus as official members, increasing the OIF membership to 93. Additionally, Angola, Chile, Nova Scotia (Canada), French Polynesia, and Saarland (Germany) were granted observer status.
The summit decided that the 46th Francophone Ministers' Meeting will be held in Côte d'Ivoire in 2025, and the 20th Francophonie Summit will take place in Cambodia in 2026. This will be the second time the summit is hosted in the Asia-Pacific, following the 7th summit held in Hanoi in 1997.
During his official visit to France, the Vietnamese top leader attended the official welcome ceremony, met with the press and held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. He also had a meeting with the President of the French National Assembly, received the National Secretary of the French Communist Party and representative of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association, visited the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and had a working session with its Director General. On this occasion, Lam and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam laid flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his statue in Montreuil city attended the inauguration ceremony of the memorial plaque honouring President Ho Chi Minh and met with the Mayor of Le Havre city.
The leaders of the two countries agreed to announce the upgrade of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and identified major directions and measures to further deepen the Vietnam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a practical way, suitable to the new context of cooperation between the two countries. With this decision, France became the first country in the EU to have a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam.
At the end of the visit, the two sides issued a joint statement on upgrading relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, in which they affirmed their commitment to further deepening political cooperation in the face of international challenges; enhancing defence and security cooperation, as well as economic partnership, cooperation for sustainable development and self-reliance; and promoting people-to-people exchange./.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the upgrade of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during their talks in Paris on October 7 (local time), making France the first country in the European Union (EU) to establish this partnership with Vietnam.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam started an official visit to France from October 7 morning (local time) at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam met with President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher in Paris on October 7 afternoon (local time) within the framework of his official visit to France.
Lawmakers are set to vote on revisions and amendments to a broad spectrum of legal frameworks and impactful resolutions during the final week of the 15th NA's 9th session.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (SCOVA) has served as a bridge connecting and uniting the community with the homeland, becoming a trusted source of support for Vietnamese expats in times of hardship.
The programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved notable results, with nearly 263,000 housing units addressed to date, including 225,000 houses inaugurated and 38,000 under construction. Thirty-eight provinces and cities across the nation have already fulfilled their targets.
Stronger efforts and determination are required to achieve and surpass the set targets, especially in the eradication of makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide, the acceleration of public investment disbursement, and the implementation of nationally important transport projects, PM Pham Minh Chinh noted.
The trip will be made at the invitations of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Long spoke highly of the dynamic, positive, and comprehensive development of Vietnam – Russia relations in recent years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State place great importance on further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in a substantive and effective manner, in line with the development needs of both nations.
At the conference, participants reported that the Government has so far issued 28 decrees on the delegation of responsibilities and powers between the central Government and two-tier local administrations. Several localities have already piloted the new governance model.
Reality is the ultimate benchmark for success, he said, urging drafting agencies to work out policies that foster development, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and respect practical conditions.
Under the official dispatch signed on June 20, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees are requested to concentrate efforts on implementing core measures to ensure the smooth operations of the new administrative framework.
The Party chief underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.
The UN Secretary-General praised Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and international integration in recent years, noting that the country has emerged as a model in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting international peace and security, and engaging in key UN processes.
Nghia affirmed that this is a milestone of special significance, affirming and honouring the the Vietnamese revolutionary press’s glorious tradition of 100 years of serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, serving the Fatherland, and serving the people.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
