Afterwards, talks were held between the two leaders. Mr. Philippe’s three-day visit is important to Vietnam-France ties as the two countries celebrate the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and five years of their strategic partnership. The visit aims to boost the bilateral strategic partnership and expand opportunities for businesses in both countries to explore business potential of the other country.
France is Vietnam’s fifth biggest trade partner with two-way trade totaling 4.6 billion USD last year. Trade reached 2.3 billion USD in the first half of this year.
Vietnam ranks second in France’s list of ODA beneficiaries in Asia with total committed capital of 18.4 billion USD since 1993. The two countries have cooperated in education and training since the 1980s. The number of Vietnamese studying in France has increased 40% in the past decade to more than 7,000 students.