Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son held phone talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian on July 23, during which the latter pledged to help accelerate COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Vietnam via COVAX. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs BuiThanh Son held phone talks with French Minister for Europe and Foreign AffairsJean-Yves Le Drian on July 23, during which the latter pledged to help accelerateCOVID-19 vaccine supplies to Vietnam via COVAX.
Drian highly spoke of major steps taken by Vietnam andFrance in strengthening their strategic partnership, reflected by the recent phone talks between President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and French President E. Macron,and between PM Pham Minh Chinh and his French counterpart Jean Castex.
Vietnam remains a key partner of France in its foreignpolicy towards Indo-Pacific, he said, adding that France agreed to join Vietnam in preparing for the next visits by their high-ranking leaders as well as the upcoming 12th conference on decentralized cooperation betweenthe two countries in 2022 andcelebrations of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomaticties and the 10th year of the strategic partnership in 2023.
He also hailed Vietnam for what it has done to combatCOVID-19 and develop the economy at the same time while thanking the Vietnamesegovernment for facilitating France’s shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam toinoculate its citizens here.
He acknowledged various efforts made by Vietnam tofight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as the country seeks toremove the “yellow card” issued by the European Commission (EC) on its aquaticexports to the EU, saying he is confident that the EC will soon lift thewarning.
Minister Son, for his part, emphasised the need tomaintain bilateral activities in the context of the pandemic, suggesting bothsides coordinate in implementing existing cooperation and dialogue mechanismsin the fields of diplomacy and economy and defence.
He welcomed France’s active and constructive role in theEU, thanked the country for actively backing the Vietnam-EU cooperation,especially in promoting the signing and ratification of the EU - Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement (EVFTA), and asked the French Government and NationalAssembly to accelerate the ratification process of the EU-Vietnam InvestmentProtection Agreement (EVIPA).
On the basis of the bilateral strategic partnership, theVietnamese official urged France to support Vietnam’s access to and transfer ofCOVID-19 vaccine production technology and medical equipment amidst the complexdevelopments of the pandemic, and facilitate Vietnamese seasonal agriculturalproducts’ approach to the French market.
The two ministers appreciated the two countries’ closecoordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the UnitedNations and ASEAN-EU cooperation, especially when Vietnam assumed the ASEANChairmanship in 2020 and serves a non-permanent member of the United NationsSecurity Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.
They exchanged views on regional and international issuesof mutual concern. Both affirmed the importance of ensuring navigation andaviation freedom, security and peace in the East Sea, emphasising the role ofthe 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) as the legalframework for all activities at seas and oceans.
On this occasion, Son invited the French minister tovisit Vietnam when possible./.
Drian highly spoke of major steps taken by Vietnam andFrance in strengthening their strategic partnership, reflected by the recent phone talks between President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and French President E. Macron,and between PM Pham Minh Chinh and his French counterpart Jean Castex.
Vietnam remains a key partner of France in its foreignpolicy towards Indo-Pacific, he said, adding that France agreed to join Vietnam in preparing for the next visits by their high-ranking leaders as well as the upcoming 12th conference on decentralized cooperation betweenthe two countries in 2022 andcelebrations of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomaticties and the 10th year of the strategic partnership in 2023.
He also hailed Vietnam for what it has done to combatCOVID-19 and develop the economy at the same time while thanking the Vietnamesegovernment for facilitating France’s shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam toinoculate its citizens here.
He acknowledged various efforts made by Vietnam tofight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as the country seeks toremove the “yellow card” issued by the European Commission (EC) on its aquaticexports to the EU, saying he is confident that the EC will soon lift thewarning.
Minister Son, for his part, emphasised the need tomaintain bilateral activities in the context of the pandemic, suggesting bothsides coordinate in implementing existing cooperation and dialogue mechanismsin the fields of diplomacy and economy and defence.
He welcomed France’s active and constructive role in theEU, thanked the country for actively backing the Vietnam-EU cooperation,especially in promoting the signing and ratification of the EU - Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement (EVFTA), and asked the French Government and NationalAssembly to accelerate the ratification process of the EU-Vietnam InvestmentProtection Agreement (EVIPA).
On the basis of the bilateral strategic partnership, theVietnamese official urged France to support Vietnam’s access to and transfer ofCOVID-19 vaccine production technology and medical equipment amidst the complexdevelopments of the pandemic, and facilitate Vietnamese seasonal agriculturalproducts’ approach to the French market.
The two ministers appreciated the two countries’ closecoordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the UnitedNations and ASEAN-EU cooperation, especially when Vietnam assumed the ASEANChairmanship in 2020 and serves a non-permanent member of the United NationsSecurity Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.
They exchanged views on regional and international issuesof mutual concern. Both affirmed the importance of ensuring navigation andaviation freedom, security and peace in the East Sea, emphasising the role ofthe 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) as the legalframework for all activities at seas and oceans.
On this occasion, Son invited the French minister tovisit Vietnam when possible./.
VNA
