Vietnam attaches importance to relations with Francophone community: PM
Vietnam attaches importance to its cooperative relations with the Francophone community and actively contributes to its common activities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) meets Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), during his official visit to France.(Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA) – Vietnam attaches importance to its cooperative relations with the Francophone community and actively contributes to its common activities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said.
The PM made the statement at a meeting on November 5 with Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), during his official visit to France.
PM Chinh applauded the efforts and contributions of the Francophone community to keeping peace and stability, promoting development in, and strengthening cooperation and solidarity among its member countries.
While taking on the role of a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, Vietnam has always promoted dialogue and cooperation, and contributed to efforts in a bid to prevent and resolve instability and conflicts that occurred in some African countries which are members of the OIF, he said.
The PM said that Vietnam has joined 17 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) covering up to 60 economies, including some Francophone economies. This is a favourable condition and legal basis for the country to promote economic cooperation with Francophone countries, he said, expressing his willingness to promote cooperation with Francophone nations in agriculture and telecommunications.
At the event. (Photo: VNA)
The OIF General-Secretary highly appreciated Vietnam's role and its responsible and effective contributions to the Francophone community, as well as enhancing the image of the Francophone community in the Asia-Pacific region, including its hosting of the 7th Francophone Summit in 1997.
She also praised Vietnam's role as the coordinator to successfully build the Francophone Economic Cooperation Strategy for the 2020-2025 period and welcomed Vietnam's participation in UN peacekeeping operations, especially in Francophone countries.
♉ The two leaders witnessed the signing of a letter of intent on collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture of Gabon on coffee production and export cooperation; a letter of intent on cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the OIF on the establishment of a South-South Cooperation Centre and tripartite cooperation./.
A seminar on intensifying communications on cooperation opportunities in the Francophone community was held in Hanoi on December 3 by Le Courrier du Vietnam, a weekly French-language newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF)’s Asia-Pacific Office.
Promoting the role of the French language and assisting countries in educational and economic development are among the priorities of Chekou Oussouman, Chief Representative for the Asia-Pacific of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), during his term.
A National Assembly delegation on October 25 attended a conference on strengthening the role of parliamentarians of member countries of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) in implementing the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism on human rights.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with his French counterpart Jean Castex in Paris on November 3 evening (local time), during which he stressed the importance of the relations with France in Vietnam’s foreign policy.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a Vietnam-France business forum on November 4 in the framework of his official visit to France and witnessed the exchange of 29 cooperative agreements between ministries, sectors, organisations and companies of Vietnam and partners from France and some European countries.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (left) meets Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), during his official visit to France.(Photo: VNA) 
At the event. (Photo: VNA) 
