Vietnam seeks stronger parliamentary cooperation with France
President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Thuy Anh paid a visit to France from January 23-24 to seek cooperation opportunities with French partners.
At the working session between President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Thuy Anh (third, left) and members of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group at the French Senate (Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA) – President of the Vietnam-FranceFriendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Thuy Anh paid a visit to France fromJanuary 23-24 to seek cooperation opportunities with French partners.
Anh, who is also Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA)’sCommittee for Social Affairs and President of the Vietnam-France Friendship andCooperation Association, had meetings with President of the French Parliament's France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Anne Le Henanff, and Vice President of theFrance-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group at the French Senate Laurence Muller-Bronn.
Showing her delight at the growth of ties between the twocountries, especially since the two sides set up their strategic partnership in2013, Anh affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the relations with France andhighly values the role of France in the region and the world.
Hailing the contributions of the two friendshipparliamentarians’ groups to the bilateral legislative partnership, Anh expressedher hope that French parliamentarians will continue to cooperate with theirVietnamese peers to further promote bilateral relations in 2024 and followingyears.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang asked thetwo friendship parliamentarians’ groups to continue striving to push the French Parliament to approve the EU-Vietnam Investment ProtectionAgreement (EVIPA) soon, while contributing their voice to the EuropeanCommission to remove the "yellow card" warning against Vietnamese seafood.
French parliamentarians showed special interest in thelawsuit of Tran To Nga, an overseas Vietnamese in France, against Americanchemicals companies that produced Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed in Vietnam during the war, and affirmed their support to Vietnamese Agent Orange/dioxin victims. They pledgedto support Vietnam in areas of its demands.
In order to promote the Vietnam-France cooperation in healthcare, Anh and Thang had a working session with the France-VietnamMedical Federation, hailing the contributions that Frenchdoctors have made to caring for the public health in Vietnam and listening totheir opinions.
During her stay, Anh also held a working session with leadersof the France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV) to explore the French side’sideas on fostering the collaboration between the AAFV and the Vietnam-FranceFriendship and Cooperation Association, thus contributing to increasingpeople-to-people exchange as well as friendship and solidarity between the twopeoples. The Vietnamese official took the occasion to thank the AAFV for itssupport to Vietnam over the past 60 years.
As the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Assembly of theFrancophone (APF)'s Vietnam Sub-Committee, Anh had a working session with APFSecretary General Damien Cesselin to discuss a number of cooperation contentsof the Vietnamese NA in this multilateral mechanism./.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang has visited and presented gifts to Madeleine Riffaud, a French revolutionary and former journalist of the French newspaper L'Humanité, and a close friend of the Vietnamese people.
Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien and Director General for International Relations and Strategy at the French Ministry of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo co-chaired the third Vietnam-France defence strategy and cooperation dialogue in Paris on December 18.
Ms Sophie Maysonnave, Counsellor for Cultural Cooperation and Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam and Director of the French Institute in Vietnam, talked to VietnamPlus on activities to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France in 2023.
French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet has suggested the two countries enhance ties in medical research, saying health care is among outstanding pillars of bilateral cooperation.
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.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
At the working session between President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Thuy Anh (third, left) and members of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group at the French Senate (Photo: VNA) 
