Parliamentary diplomacy serves as sustainable bridge in Vietnam – France ties
Ties between the France – Vietnam and Vietnam – France parliamentary friendship groups are grounded in sincere collaboration, now spanning critical areas such as healthcare, climate change, culture, local governance, energy, and Francophonie initiatives.
Chairwoman of the France – Vietnam Friendship Group in the French National Assembly (NA) Anne Le Hénanff (Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA👍) – Chairwoman of the France – Vietnam Friendship Group in the French National Assembly (NA) Anne Le Hénanff has highlighted the growing parliamentary bonds between the two nations, particularly since their bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024.
Talking with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident reporter in Paris on the occasion of Vietnamese NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh’s trip to attend the 50th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), Hénanff noted a surge in exchanges between the two legislatures, pointing to frequent delegation visits, political dialogues, and mutual support at international organisations like the APF.
This commitment has translated into action, she said, adding that President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Vietnam from May 25-27, accompanied by ministers overseeing transport, digital transformation, and foreign trade, underscored the deepening ties. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s recent visit to France and Thanh’s trip further reinforced the high-level exchange. These visits reflect a shared ambition to strengthen the partnership and build sustainable bridges between the two sides, Hénanff said.
Since taking her role in 2022, Hénanff has overseen robust parliamentary exchanges, hosting Vietnamese delegations in Paris and holding working sessions together, most notably during President Macron’s visit to Vietnam.
Ties between the France – Vietnam and Vietnam – France parliamentary friendship groups, she said, are grounded in sincere collaboration. The partnership now spans critical areas such as healthcare, climate change, culture, local governance, energy, and Francophonie initiatives.
She expressed her enthusiasm for continued collaboration with her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the Vietnam – France Friendship Group, who has played a pivotal role in strengthening legislative ties.
Looking ahead, Hénanff highlighted the shared priorities, including climate change adaptation, digital transformation, healthcare, and promoting French language teaching in Vietnam.
Regarding main challenges and prospects of bilateral parliamentary relations in the coming years, she emphasised her discussions with the France – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group members and both ambassadors — Olivier Brochet of France and Dinh Toan Thang of Vietnam, which have underscored the significant hurdles ahead.
A major challenge is France’s pending ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), a deal highly anticipated by Vietnam for providing a safe and transparent legal framework for European businesses interested in investment opportunities in Vietnam amid the country’s increasingly open economy.
The French President's visit to Vietnam in May announced over 9 billion EUR (10.53 billion USD) in cooperation projects across aviation, energy, and rail sectors. Once the EVIPA officially takes effect, it will help reinforce cooperation momentum and increase France's economic presence.
Hénanff said that she is actively advocating for the swift introduction of the EVIPA into the French parliamentary agenda to reinforce France’s economic presence in the region.
Beyond economic matters, other bilateral issues include concerns over fishing activities in the East Sea, touching on sovereignty and sustainable environmental management.
The French language also remains a crucial pillar of cooperation, fostering ties through education, diplomacy, and culture, she noted.
Regarding the role of parliamentary diplomacy amid current geopolitical shifts and on the occasion of the 50th meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) General Assembly in Paris, Hénanff said she sees parliamentary diplomact as key to forging direct, humanistic, and sustainable ties. She noted parliamentarians' critical role in pushing forward bilateral agendas in climate change, digital transformation, and economic cooperation, encouraging strategic cooperation, and champion major agreements such as the EVIPA.
The 50th meeting of the APF General Assembly also offers a platform to amplify the voice of French-speaking Asian nations, with Vietnam playing a prominent and committed role in the Francophone community, she went on.
Hénanff expressed concern over the decline of French language learning in Vietnam and called for joint efforts to strengthen bilingual education, teacher training, and university exchange programmes, with parliamentarians leading these initiatives.
In light of NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh’s visit to France, Hénanff expressed her sincere friendship and respect to the Vietnamese parliament and people, recalling France’s participation in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory in May 2024 as a symbol of the countries’ shared commitment to lasting relations.
She reflected on her recent visit to Vietnam alongside the French President in May and confirmed plans to return in 2026 to visit southern Vietnam. Besides, she eagerly anticipates welcoming the Vietnamese parliamentary delegation, including Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh, whose visit was postponed due to the dissolution of the French NA in June 2024.
Hénanff expressed confidence in the strong future of France – Vietnam relations, driven by Vietnam’s robust economic growth, development ambitions, and enduring bilateral friendship. She reaffirmed her commitment to advancing this partnership in her role as Chairwoman of the France – Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, speaking at the Vietnam – France business forum in Paris on June 11, emphasised that businesses need to join hands to connect the two economies, while the governments serve as facilitators—creating opportunities, providing favourable conditions, and promoting cooperation.
The two-way trade has seen steady growth over the years, exceeding 5.4 billion USD in 2024. However, huge potential and room remains for economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
