Paris (VNA) - A delegation of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians' Group led by its Chairwoman Nguyen Thuy Anh paid a working visit to France from July 6 to 8, at the invitation of Chairwoman of the France – Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group (FVFG) in the French National Assembly (NA) Anne Le Hénanff.

During the visit, the delegation carried out numerous important activities, including official meetings with representatives of the FVFG in the French NA, the FVFG at the French Senate. They also paid a courtesy visit to French NA Vice-President Nadège Abomangoli; and met with Frédéric Valletoux, head of the French NA's Social Affairs Committee, and Thani Mohamed Soilihi, Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships under the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

At the meetings, the two sides spoke highly of the continuously strengthened Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly through recent high-level delegation exchanges. They pledged to further foster parliamentary cooperation, highlighting the active contributions of the two countries’ friendship parliamentary groups in fostering the bilateral relations.

Anne Le Hénanff, and Alain Cadec, Chairman of the FVFG at the French Senate, reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral relations and deepening legislative ties. They pledged to further strengthen relations between the friendship parliamentarian’s groups, especially having measures to support Vietnam such as advocating for the ratification of the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urging the European Union to lift the “yellow card” warning against the Vietnamese seafood exports for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and enhancing collaboration in health, environment, and labour and employment.

Meanwhile, Minister Delegate Soilihi highly valued the positive developments in France–Vietnam relations in recent years, spotlighting the state visit to Vietnam by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s participation in the 3rd UN Nations Ocean Conference and his working visit to France, as key milestones. He also touched upon cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, culture, and education between the two nations.

For her part, Anh affirmed that France is a key partner of Vietnam, especially following the upgrade of bilateral ties to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. She noted the growing relationship between the two countries’ legislative bodies and their close coordination at international forums, including the Francophonie community and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF).

The Vietnamese guests also held working sessions with representatives of the French Hospital Federation (FHF) in Paris and the France-Vietnam Medical Federation (FVMF), and visited Gustave Roussy cancer centre - the fourth largest in the world in cancer treatment.

They recalled the successful outcomes of the France–Vietnam Medical Conference held in Vietnam in 2023, and looked ahead to the next edition of the conference slated for late 2025.

The Vietnamese delegates expressed appreciation for the support provided by the French Government and voiced hope that the FVMF will continue to serve as a bridge for deepening bilateral healthcare collaboration. They also called on the French Government and relevant organisations to further support the training of Vietnamese medical personnel in France and facilitate the transfer of advanced medical technologies and techniques to Vietnamese hospitals and professionals.

At working sessions with representatives of Servier and Sanofi, the delegation acknowledged the contributions of the two firms’ affiliates in Vietnam, including their investments, technology transfer, and the supply of medicines and medical equipment for Vietnam, as well as their engagement in social initiatives across the Southeast Asian country.

The companies expressed their desire for favourable conditions in obtaining licenses for the circulation of vaccines and new medicines, as well as for greater application of digital transformation in pharmaceutical management in Vietnam. They called for clear procedures and appropriate incentive mechanisms to support technology transfer for the production of new drugs and vaccines in Vietnam.

Working with Frédéric Valletoux, the two sides held discussions on policy-making experiences in social affairs, including policies on healthcare human resources, social and supplementary health insurance for medical services, and elderly care policies.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Anh described the visit as a success, marking the beginning of a new chapter in parliamentary cooperation between Vietnam and France. She said that through in-depth and practical exchanges, the delegation contributed to further strengthening the Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The visit laid a solid foundation for the implementation of concrete cooperation projects in the future, particularly in healthcare, education, science and technology, and culture, she added./.