Parliamentary diplomacy - crucial link in France-Vietnam relations: parliamentarian

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron in the Vietnamese leader's visit to France in 2021. (Photo: VNA)

Paris (VNA) – Parliamentary diplomacy is an important link in the cooperation between France and Vietnam, said President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group (FVFPG) Anne Le Hénanff.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in France, Hénanff highlighted the fruitful development of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and France, saying that since upgrading their relationship to a strategic partnership in 2013, the two countries have enjoyed flourishing relations.

The goal of the strategic partnership is to strengthen bilateral cooperation across fields, especially in economics, culture, education, and defence, she stressed.

According to the parliamentarian, diplomatic relations have been marked by the exchange of many high-level delegations, contributing to renewing the strategic partnership. The most recent significant event was Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to France in November 2021. On this occasion, both sides issued a joint statement on further deepening the strategic partnership.

Regarding the issue of climate change, as one of the priorities mentioned in the joint statement, France has been committed to joining hands with Vietnam to implement the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) signed between Vietnam and partners from the Group of Seven (G7).

This partnership will support Vietnam's ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and speeding up the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, Hénanff said.

As part of this partnership, through the French Development Agency (AFD), France has committed to mobilising 500 million EUR (531.3 million USD) in 3 - 5 years to develop projects that expedite the ecological transition.

Cooperation between the two countries in other areas such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, has also witnessed notable results.

The potential for cooperation between Vietnam and France is immense and built upon the foundation of long-standing relations, she said, affirming that there are many reasons to be optimistic about bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The two governments have repeatedly demonstrated a strong political will to promote bilateral cooperation. Vietnam and France have maintained regular dialogue channels between relevant agencies in terms of economics, strategy, and defence. The bilateral relations are also based on the close ties between Vietnamese and French localities, and decentralised cooperation forums, she said, noting that friendship parliamentary groups, including the FVFPG, play a central role in the relation.

Hénanff underlined the need for the two countries to prioritise maintaining high-level exchanges and strengthening cooperation in the fight against climate change, digital technology and security.

Cooperation in culture and teaching of the French language should be top priorities in the bilateral relationship because they contribute to promoting mutual understanding and solidarity among nations, as well as exchanges between the two countries, she added./.