Vietnam-France Relations Strengthened Amid Covid-19

Stéphanie Do, president of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group received Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang at the French National Assembly. Photo: VNA

Stéphanie Do, president of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, assessed the relationship between France and Vietnam as a very strong one, and unaffected by the current health crisis.

According to her, Vietnam and France have benefited from the longstanding partnership, and healthcare has long been a strong point in bilateral cooperation. Therefore, the two countries had mutual support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has shown its generosity when sending antibacterial masks to France and much other medical equipment.

She emphasized that right from the first time of social distancing when masks were still scarce, an air bridge was established to France as a demonstration of Vietnam's great solidarity.

Regarding the Covid-19 vaccine, Stéphanie Do expressed her delight at France's increased mobilization of vaccine supply for Vietnam through the COVAX mechanism. She also mentioned that Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of health.

She believes that the necessary resources for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic can only be found in collective effort and solidarity. That's why she sees more than 670,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine given to Vietnam by France as a good demonstration of the strong solidarity between the two countries, even in the most difficult times.

Donating masks to representatives of the French Communist Party. Photo: VNA

She shared that in her position, her main goal is to create a link between French and Vietnamese parliamentarians. Inter-parliamentary groups are the true elements of French foreign policy, and help to promote the French National Assembly abroad.

Through the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, Stéphanie Do had many opportunities to meet and closely connect with Vietnam's political and institutional environment, contributing to strengthening the relationship between the two countries' institutions. The main goal of the group is to organize peer-to-peer missions to Vietnam, and to welcome Vietnamese National Assembly delegations to France.

She said President Emmanuel Macron is also very interested in preserving and improving France-Vietnam relations. In 2018, he welcomed General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for an official visit to the French Republic.

The two leaders discussed international and regional issues of mutual concern, as well as the progress in bilateral relations marked in 2018, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron during the visit to France on March 25, 2018. Photo: VNA

President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group said that in the face of important geopolitical and economic challenges in the region, strengthening the relationship between France, the European Union (EU) and ASEAN should be paid attention to. That is to support policy choices that promote lasting peace and prosperity for all countries in the region.

She assessed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to the French Republic of great significance because bilateral exchanges contributed to the prosperity and international position of the two countries.

The event is even more meaningful when the Covid-19 crisis once again affirms the importance of bilateral relations. From the very beginning of the first blockade in France, the two countries have shown great mutual help and solidarity.

The high-level meetings allowed leaders of the two countries to discuss a wide range of topics such as France's parliamentary system, the two countries' political situation, the international situation and France's interest in Vietnam, especially the Indo-Pacific region.

Stéphanie Do said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit is a valuable opportunity for the two countries to share experiences and exchange views.

According to the President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group, now is the time for constructive dialogues that are very important for efforts to strengthen the partnership between France and Vietnam.

Promoting Cooperation Between Montreuil, France, And Vietnamese Localities Montreuil (France) and Hai Duong (Vietnam) have established a cooperative relationship with Hai Duong since 1999.

Vietnam - France: Strengthening Multifaceted Cooperation Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang held working sessions with French organizations to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

Association Contributes to Strengthening Vietnam-France Friendship The France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV) has carried out numerous activities in support of the Vietnamese people over the past time.