Illustrative image (Source: internet)Hanoi (VNA) - The official visit to France from March 25-27 byGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee NguyenPhu Trong aims to set up relations with the new government of France, thus furtherdeepening the strategic partnership between the two nations.
The visit, which will be made at the invitation of French President EmmanuelMacron, takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Vietnam and France officially set up diplomatic ties on April 12, 1973. The twonations decided to establish the Strategic Partnership in 2013.
In recent years, the two sides have maintained the exchange of high-rankingvisits and various cooperation mechanisms. Notably, apart from organising the Vietnam-France Defence Policy Dialogue,the two countries have also maintained high-level economic dialogues and financial and economic forums.
France was the first Western country to have a defense attaché in Vietnam in1991. In November 2009, the two ministries of defence signed an agreement on annualrotating organisation of the Vietnam-France Joint Committee on National Defence Cooperation, which was renamed “the Defence Policy Dialogue”with its first meeting in November 2016.
Trade links between the two sides has witnessed strong development in recentyears. Vietnam has enjoyed a trade surplus in exports to the French market.Two-way trade hit 4.6 billion USD in 2017, up 11.6 percent from the previousyear.
France began investing in Vietnam in 1988. In 2017, Franceranked third among European countries, and 16th among 125 countriesand territories investing in Vietnam, with 513 valid projects worth 2.8 billionUSD. France’s direct investment in Vietnam mainly focuses on IT and processingand manufacturing industries.
France is a leading European ODA provider for Vietnam, and Vietnam is the secondlargest beneficiary nation of French ODA in Asia, with total committed capitalof 18.4 billion USD since 1993.
Regarding educational cooperation, France regards educationand training as a priority in its cooperation with Vietnam, focusing on Frenchlanguage teaching and human resources training at tertiary and post-graduate levelsin various areas like economic management, banking, finance, law and newtechnology.
The French Government allocates about 5 million EUR (6.1 million USD) forcultural cooperation with Vietnam each year, including support for Frenchculture centres in Hanoi (L’Espace), Ho Chi Minh City (Institute of CulturalExchange with France – IDECAF), Hue and Da Nang.
With 14 projects worth 188million USD, France ranks seventh among countries and territories in terms oftourism investment in Vietnam, which considers the EU nation as a key source oftourists.
Vietnam and France have so far 30 cooperation projects on training doctors,which are financed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hospitals.
Beginning in early 1990s,cooperation among localities of the two countries has become a special feature inthe bilateral relations. As many 38 French localities have established partnershipswith 18 provinces and cities of Vietnam. Since 1990, there have been 235projects between localities of Vietnam and France, focusing on health care,education, water and hygiene, heritage preservation, French-speaking community, rural andsustainable development.
As members of the International Francophone Organisation(OIF), the two sides have many cooperation activities within the organisation, especiallyin teaching French, higher education and parliamentary activities.
Currently, around 300,000 Vietnamese people are living, studying and working inFrance, 40,000 of whom have tertiary or postgraduate degrees. Many of them are workingin universities, research institutes and administrative agencies of France.-VNA
The visit, which will be made at the invitation of French President EmmanuelMacron, takes place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Vietnam and France officially set up diplomatic ties on April 12, 1973. The twonations decided to establish the Strategic Partnership in 2013.
In recent years, the two sides have maintained the exchange of high-rankingvisits and various cooperation mechanisms. Notably, apart from organising the Vietnam-France Defence Policy Dialogue,the two countries have also maintained high-level economic dialogues and financial and economic forums.
France was the first Western country to have a defense attaché in Vietnam in1991. In November 2009, the two ministries of defence signed an agreement on annualrotating organisation of the Vietnam-France Joint Committee on National Defence Cooperation, which was renamed “the Defence Policy Dialogue”with its first meeting in November 2016.
Trade links between the two sides has witnessed strong development in recentyears. Vietnam has enjoyed a trade surplus in exports to the French market.Two-way trade hit 4.6 billion USD in 2017, up 11.6 percent from the previousyear.
France began investing in Vietnam in 1988. In 2017, Franceranked third among European countries, and 16th among 125 countriesand territories investing in Vietnam, with 513 valid projects worth 2.8 billionUSD. France’s direct investment in Vietnam mainly focuses on IT and processingand manufacturing industries.
France is a leading European ODA provider for Vietnam, and Vietnam is the secondlargest beneficiary nation of French ODA in Asia, with total committed capitalof 18.4 billion USD since 1993.
Regarding educational cooperation, France regards educationand training as a priority in its cooperation with Vietnam, focusing on Frenchlanguage teaching and human resources training at tertiary and post-graduate levelsin various areas like economic management, banking, finance, law and newtechnology.
The French Government allocates about 5 million EUR (6.1 million USD) forcultural cooperation with Vietnam each year, including support for Frenchculture centres in Hanoi (L’Espace), Ho Chi Minh City (Institute of CulturalExchange with France – IDECAF), Hue and Da Nang.
With 14 projects worth 188million USD, France ranks seventh among countries and territories in terms oftourism investment in Vietnam, which considers the EU nation as a key source oftourists.
Vietnam and France have so far 30 cooperation projects on training doctors,which are financed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hospitals.
Beginning in early 1990s,cooperation among localities of the two countries has become a special feature inthe bilateral relations. As many 38 French localities have established partnershipswith 18 provinces and cities of Vietnam. Since 1990, there have been 235projects between localities of Vietnam and France, focusing on health care,education, water and hygiene, heritage preservation, French-speaking community, rural andsustainable development.
As members of the International Francophone Organisation(OIF), the two sides have many cooperation activities within the organisation, especiallyin teaching French, higher education and parliamentary activities.
Currently, around 300,000 Vietnamese people are living, studying and working inFrance, 40,000 of whom have tertiary or postgraduate degrees. Many of them are workingin universities, research institutes and administrative agencies of France.-VNA
VNA
