(VOVworld) – Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung held talks with French counterpart Manuel Valls within the framework of the UN Conference on climate change in Paris. The two leaders agreed on specific measures to improve bilateral ties by increasing contact at all levels, promoting the role of cooperative mechanisms such as the Joint Committee on defense cooperation and annual high-level economic dialogue. They will coordinate in organizing the 10^th conference on cooperation between Vietnamese and French localities in Vietnam next September.
The two sides will accelerate key joint projects in transport, energy, space and aviation, agriculture and pharmaceuticals. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said France and Vietnam should support each other in responding to climate change and obtaining the greenhouse gas reduction targets. He will encourage French businesses to invest in green development in Vietnam. He affirmed that France will continue to advocate stronger comprehensive relations between Vietnam and the EU, particularly in trade and economics. He said France supports the early signing, ratification and enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which he said will help boost trade-investment ties between France and Vietnam.

Prime Minister Tan Dung said that Vietnam will work as a bridge to help France strengthen its ties with the Asia-Pacific and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).  The two leaders shared the view that all disputes in the East Sea should be addressed by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) while ensuring security and safety of navigation and aviation in the interest of the region and the international community.