President Luong Cuong and President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: VOV

President Luong Cuong and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday informed reporters about the outcomes of their just-concluded talks. At the press conference, President Cuong said the two sides pledged to closely coordinate to maintain and strengthen free trade, further open markets for each other and continue to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Vietnam asked France to urge the European Commission to remove the IUU "Yellow Card" imposed on Vietnamese seafood; soon complete the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and encourage French firms to expand investment and joint ventures to develop strategic industries and services.

President Luong Cuong said, “The two sides agreed to ramp up cooperation in areas where France is strong, such as aerospace, nuclear energy, AI, digital transformation, pharmaceuticals, and boost technology transfer and mastery.”

President Macron said Vietnam being the first destination of his Southeast Asia tour is a natural choice because of the “incomparable” relationship, marked by the historical imprint between Vietnam and France. The French President expressed his desire to strengthen all-round cooperation with Vietnam in Vietnam’s new era of development.

 “Vietnam is now entering a new era of developmental reform to turn the country into a developed nation by the middle of this century. France is once again determined to become a leading partner to work with Vietnam on this path,” Macron said. 

Both presidents informed that the two sides have signed a series of cooperation documents in space, satellite system, mining, high-speed train, energy, nuclear power, aviation, health, transportation, and logistics, among others.