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) –ꦜ 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.
Welcoming female diplomats at the meeting, PM Pham Minh Chinh wished them good health and continued contributions to the nations and to global diplomacy so as to keep promoting peace, cooperation, and development, advocating multilateralism, and promoting international solidarity.
The Mekong – Japan Cooperation (MJC) includes six members: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2025, a new co-chair mechanism will be launched, with Vietnam becoming the first Mekong country to assume this role.
Based on their long-standing ties, shared interests, common viewpoints, as well as ASEAN membership, deepening the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship will not only serve the interests of the two peoples but also contribute to a united, strong, and cohesive ASEAN, and to peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son had bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Japan and Switzerland on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-58) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10.
Deputy PM and FM Bui Thanh Son, on behalf of ASEAN countries, commended the strong and substantive growth in the ASEAN-New Zealand partnership over the past 50 years and supported elevating it to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership this year.
The Vietnamese archives sector cooperates with not only the US but also France to provide information in the search for missing soldiers, thus meeting the needs of their families. It will continue to proactively cooperate and exchange information with the US side in this work.
The Government leader called for specific amendments and supplements of tasks and measures to improve institutions and policies on land management and use, while stressing a need for the inclusion of solutions related to land allocation and lease, and land-use conversion.
Such a journey is rare in international relations, and for Vietnam, it represents the fruit of a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation, and deep global integration for peace and development, Dung said.
By reorganising the administrative system from three to two levels, with the district level removed, the authority and responsibility of commune/ward administrations will be strengthened, and efficiency will be improved, thus better serving citizens.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien has emphasised that over the past 60 years of development, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have grown steadily and expanded international cooperation, including practical and effective collaboration with the Vietnam People's Army.
Without trust, it would be difficult to have the substantive relationship the two countries have today, and trust has been developed and built on the determination to overcome and solve war legacies.
At this one-day meeting, the NA Standing Committee is scheduled to give opinions on eight major items, including an initial discussion on a thematic supervision report on the implementation of policies and laws related to human resource development, especially high-quality personnel, which are deemed essential for sustainable economic growth in Vietnam's new development phase.
PM Chinh said that after three years of implementing Resolution 18-NQ/TW on continuing to innovate and perfect institutions and policies, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of land management and use, and one year of enforcing the 2024 Land Law, the legal policies on land have been carried out synchronously, achieving positive results.
Mozambican Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi has emphasised the special ties between Mozambique and Vietnam, noting their shared views and complementary socio-economic similarities.
Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Belarus have been invited to join a parade during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945) and National Day (September 2).
Highlighting the core values that have contributed to the success of ASEAN, including unity and mutual respect, Son affirmed that in the current period of instability, the bloc’s unity and centrality, along with strong commitments to inclusive and sustainable development, continue to serve as guiding principles for the ASEAN Community.
The spirit of family unity, community solidarity and close neighbourliness, along with the solid foundation of dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law, has made ASEAN successful over the past decades.
