Paris (VNA) - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, his wife, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation left Paris late on September 11, concluding their successful official visit to France and attendance at the International Space Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
At Orly Airport, the Vietnamese delegation was seen off by Eleonor Caroit, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad; French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet; and representatives of the Protocol Department of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
On the Vietnamese side were Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Duc Hai and his wife; Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO; and officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in France.
During the visit, Party Secretary General and President To Lam held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between Vietnam and France. He met the press ahead of his talks with President Macron, and met leaders of leading French and Vietnamese corporations and businesses. He also held meetings with French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Senate President Gerard Larcher and Fabien Roussel, National Secretary of the French Communist Party.
He attended the International Space Summit in Paris and held meetings and discussions with the Presidents of Serbia, the Republic of the Congo, and Finland; the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria and Luxembourg; and the President of the European Commission, seeking to advance cooperation with these key partners.
He also visited several French technology and energy research facilities and met Vietnamese technology experts.
The top Vietnamese leader and his wife laid flowers at a statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Montreau Park in the city of Montreuil. They also met officials and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in France.
On the occasion, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded Party General Secretary and President To Lam the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest national distinction.
Vietnam and France issued a joint statement on promoting the implementation of their comprehensive strategic partnership framework.
During their meetings, the two sides expressed satisfaction with the strong and substantive development of bilateral ties nearly two years after the relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Looking ahead, Party General Secretary and President To Lam and President Macron agreed to maintain regular high-level and other-level contacts through all channels, including the Party, government, parliament and people-to-people exchanges. They also agreed to effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms while exploring deeper specialised cooperation to meet development needs in the new context.
Sharing a forward-looking vision, the two sides agreed to make greater use of France’s position as a leading scientific power in Europe and formally establish science and technology cooperation as a new and key pillar of bilateral relations. Priority areas for breakthrough cooperation will include aerospace, critical minerals, quantum technology, clean energy and research for sustainable development and climate change response.
The two sides also agreed to unlock the full potential of traditional areas of cooperation and move toward more inclusive and effective partnership models.
They pledged to step up cultural and people-to-people exchanges through the organisation of cultural weeks and days in each country, with the Vietnam Day in France scheduled for October 2026 as an immediate priority. They also agreed to further deepen cooperation in healthcare, education and training, among other areas.
On the occasion, Vietnam’s top leader called on France to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country to integrate more deeply into local society and thrive. He also urged France to develop mechanisms to make the most of the potential of Vietnamese experts, intellectuals and scientists, enabling them to contribute to their host country and advance bilateral ties.
On regional and international issues, the two sides agreed to strengthen coordination and support each other at multilateral forums, particularly at the United Nations and within the ASEAN-EU framework.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam’s official visit reaffirmed Vietnam’s particular importance attached to its comprehensive strategic partnership with France. It also provided an opportunity to connect France’s strengths in science and technology, innovation and strategic technology sectors with Vietnam’s emerging development needs./.
