President Truong Tan Sang welcomes President of the French National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee Elisabeth Guigou(Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – President Truong Tan Sang asked for more efforts from both Vietnam and France to raise two-way trade above the current nearly 3 billion USD level while receiving President of the French National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee Elisabeth Guigou in Hanoi on December 16.
He congratulated France on successfully hosting the 21 st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) and suggested the France NA support Vietnam to intensify its ties with the EU and early ratify the Vietnam-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).
Regarding France’s concern over the East Sea situation, the State leader confirmed that China’s fast and large-scale constructions on islands in the sea have broken the status quo, threatened regional security and violated the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
He thanked France for backing Vietnam’s stance of addressing disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, the DOC, and working towards the signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) and maintaining maritime and aviation security and safety.
He again expressed sympathies over France’s losses in recent terrorist attacks, stressing Vietnam’s viewpoint of strongly condemning terror actions that cost civilian casualties.
For her part, Elisabeth Guigou affirmed that President Francois Hollande always pays special attention to Vietnam and wishes to visit the country at the soonest time.
Regarding the East Sea situation, she stated that through the photos provided by the Vietnamese Defence Ministry, she and other parliamentarians acknowledged that the scale of the constructions by China is not small, exactly as Vietnam said.
She confirmed France’s support for dealing with disputes by peaceful measures with respect to international law and its willingness to cooperate with Vietnam in East Sea-related issues.
The official also said she and other parliamentarians are working to address minor technical problems so the PCA will be approved in early 2016.
She hoped that the two countries’ businesses will intensify collaboration in aviation and food industry.-VNA
