NA Vice Chairman receives France – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Khac Dinh urged France to continue to serve as an active bridge between Vietnam and the EU, and expressed hope that the delegation’s visit would help translate high-level agreements into concrete substantive outcomes.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Khac Dinh (R) and Senator Alain Cadec, Chairman of the France–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group of the French Senate. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) 🌊– Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Khac Dinh on September 18 received a delegation of the France–Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group of the French Senate, led by its Chairman Senator Alain Cadec, during their working visit to Vietnam.
Dinh welcomed the positive progress in the Vietnam–France relations, notably the upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the October 2024 official visit to France by Party General Secretary To Lam, who was State President then, making France Vietnam’s first Comprehensive Strategic Partner within the EU.
He urged France to continue to serve as an active bridge between Vietnam and the EU, and expressed hope that the delegation’s visit would help translate high-level agreements into concrete substantive outcomes.
He called for further cooperation in building Vietnam’s legal system, implementing bilateral agreements, and sharing development experience.
Stressing Vietnam’s orientation towards green and digital transition, circular economy, and carbon neutrality, he asked France to provide expertise and technological support in energy, railways, nuclear power, and other fields, and to consider hosting the 13th Vietnam-France Decentralised Cooperation Conference. He also sought French support in urging the European Commission to remove the “yellow card” on Vietnamese seafood and in expediting EU member states’ ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
For his part, Senator Cadec, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee for European Affairs, affirmed the French Senate’s commitment to promoting parliamentary cooperation and supporting Vietnam in legislative affairs and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing prevention. He pledged to advocate for the lifting of the "yellow card" and the early ratification of the EVIPA, while noting vast cooperation potential in trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, climate response, and human resources training.
Later the same day, Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the Vietnam–France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, held talks with the French Senate delegation./.
State President Luong Cuong and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cabled congratulatory messages to French President Emmanuel Macron and PM François Bayrou respectively.
Regarding investment, the EVFTA has played a pivotal role through commitments on investment protection, national treatment, and most-favoured-nation status. French capital has flowed into high-value-added sectors such as precision engineering, renewable energy, environmental technology, pharmaceuticals, and high-tech agriculture.
Friendship is one of the most profound characteristics of the bilateral ties, forged over a long history full of ups and downs, with both nations cherishing this uniqueness through their ability to look back on the shared past with calmness and goodwill, said French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet.
The two leaders expressed their delight at the increasingly consolidated, close, effective, and practical cooperation between the two countries and the two legislatures, as well as their close coordination in implementing the contents of the cooperation agreement between the two legislative bodies.
Nghia congratulated Australia on its recent achievements, welcomed the positive results of Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s recent state visit to Vietnam, and reaffirmed that the CPV and the Vietnamese Government attach great importance to Australia’s role.
NA Chairman Man emphasised that AIPA, together with its member parliaments, is playing a pioneering role in building a future of equal development opportunities and shared prosperity for all ASEAN people.
Dong stressed that the outcomes of recent high-level exchanges between the two Parties and States would create favourable conditions for the two armies to step up more substantive and effective cooperation, contributing to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and the building of a Vietnam–China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Pauline Tamesis, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, commended Vietnam’s decisive policies on international integration, digital transformation, energy security, education and healthcare, placing people and businesses at the centre.
Appreciating the increasingly close and substantive cooperation between Vietnam and the IMF, the PM affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the fund’s active and effective support throughout the process of innovation, door opening, and international integration, which has made important contributions to consolidating macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, promoting growth, as well as enhancing macroeconomic management and governance capacity.
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Under Decision No. 2087/QD-TTg, Nguyen Tuan Hung was reappointed as Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency. The decision took effective on September 17.
NA Chairman Man’s attendance at the event reaffirmed Vietnam’s role and contributions to AIPA-46, while demonstrating its readiness to continue working with member parliaments to strengthen intra-bloc solidarity and unity, safeguard a peaceful and stable environment, and build a strong, resilient ASEAN Community that continues to play a central role in the regional cooperation architecture.
Major General Nguyen Ba Luc, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, expressed delight at the fruitful outcomes of Vietnam–Cambodia defence cooperation, which has remained a key pillar of bilateral relations. Highlights include delegation exchanges at all levels, particularly high-level visits; the Defence Policy Dialogue mechanism, consultations, and information exchange.
Chien noted that the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 was a historic milestone, reflecting the strong political will of both sides to advance cooperation in a more reliable, practical, and effective manner. Defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership, he said.
The elections of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 tenure will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026. These are major political events of great significance for the country and each locality as they will be organised 40 years after “Doi moi” (renewal).
The two sides also explored potential areas for further cooperation, including logistics, military medicine, search and rescue operations, and UN peacekeeping. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating closely with and supporting each other in international forums, particularly within the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).
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The head of the European Parliament delelegation at AIPA-46 highlighted the effective implementation of the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), describing it as a model for the EU’s negotiations with other partners.
Da Nang's GRDP is projected to grow at an average of 11% per year during 2026–2030, with per capita GRDP reaching 8,500 USD. State budget revenue is expected to rise by at least 10% annually; the private sector is projected to grow 11.5–12% per year; and the digital economy is anticipated to account for 35–40% of GRDP.
In a context where traditional and non-traditional security challenges are increasingly intertwined, multilateralism is not merely an option but an inevitable path to maintain peace and stability, according to Defence Minister Gen. Phan Van Giang.
