Paris (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with representatives from the French Communist Party (PCF) and French enterprises on the sidelines of COP 21 in Paris, France, on December 1 before leaving for Belgium the f😼ollowing day.

Meeting with PCF National Secretary Pierre Laurent, the Vietnamese leader offered his deepest sympathies to the French people over their heavy losses in the recent terror attacks in Paris. He said in the previous meetings, the French President, PM and Speakers of the Senate and Lower House expressed their willingness to develop the two countries’ relations. He asked the PCF to continue supporting bilateral ties and the connection between Vietnam and the European Union (EU). Pierre Laurent spoke highly of the Southeast Asian country’s contributions to the 21 st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21), adding that it is necessary to ensure both development and environmental protection in coping with climate change. He also applauded the PM’s meetings with French leaders on the occasion of COP 21, stressing the PCF’s further advocacy of and contribution to the enhancement of relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the PCF, as well as the countries’ cooperation. Also in Paris, PM Nguyen Tan Dung received executives of the Electricity of France Group (EDF), Paris Airports Group (ADP), Perenco Oil and Gas Company, Technip Construction – Design Company, and Accord Group. They are major businesses in France that have operated successfully and are planning to expand in Vietnam. He affirmed that energy security, aviation infrastructure, and oil and gas are among priorities in Vietnam’s economic development. He welcomed the firms’ interest in business expansion and cooperation with his country, adding that their experience and resources are useful for Vietnam and they should build long-term business strategies in, transfer technologies to and share experience with Vietnam. The leader also pledged the best possible conditions for foreign investors to form long-term partnerships in the nation. Presenting their business plans, executives of the French companies said they want to continue participating in and actively contributing to key economic sectors, modernisation and industrialisation in Vietnam. Also on December 1, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who was escorting PM Nguyen Tan Dung during the working visit, met with Senator of France’s Green Party Jean-Vincent Placé. The senator said he highly values France and Vietnam’s growing ties and wishes to work with the Southeast Asian nation to set up a national agency for product origin and quality examination, and another body supplying product examinations and origin-tracing measures. Minh applauded the suggestion and asked Jean-Vincent Placé to concretise that idea. He promised to order relevant Vietnamese agencies to discuss collaboration in this area with the senator. Meeting with executives of the Thales Group, which operates in the areas of aviation, aerospace, transportation, defence and security, the Vietnamese official said his country has high demand for long-term affiliations in the firm’s specialised fields. Vietnam wants Thales to have long-term plans in the country, train personnel and transfer technologies to help Vietnam use the group’s products effectively, he added. Thales representatives also said the company wishes to extend its projects and establish long-term cooperation with local partners.-VNA