3:15 PM, 03/10/2007
An important turning point in VN-France relationship
VNGOP – PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng decided to shorten his official visit to the French Republic and return home earlier to direct the preventive work against Typhoon Lekima and the settlement of the Cần Thơ Accident.
| | | PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and French PM Francois Fillon in the conference press - Photo: VNGOP | In an interview given to Vietnamese reporters before flying back Việt Nam, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng confirmed that his visit to France was successful. The PM briefed his profound discussions with French leaders on lifting the bilateral relationship to a strategic level in line with the principle of “traditional friendship, long-term comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust in the 21 st century” as agreed by senior leaders of the two countries. “France considers Việt Nam as an important partner and one of the countries of top priority in its policy on Asia,” said PM Dũng. He emphasized that French President Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledged his meeting with the Vietnamese PM as a historical meeting marking an important turning point in the relationship between the two countries. The French leader also confirmed that France wants to develop a strategic relation with Việt Nam. Economically, French leaders pledged to actively consider the possibilities to increase ODA to and prioritize trade promotion with Việt Nam; encourage and assist French enterprises to do business in Việt Nam; and take part in projects on socio-economic significance. The two sides agreed to cement and deepen ties in the fields of education, health, culture, science and technique. In the coming period, the two countries committed to regularly share their opinions of regional and international security issues of common concern as well as closer collaborate on multilateral forums. PM Dũng expressed his belief that the Việt Nam–France relation would well develop in all fields to meet the two peoples’ aspiration and interests. “The development of our bilateral relationship will help strengthen the relations between France and Asia, Việt Nam and the EU, as well as the close friendship between the two continents. This is Việt Nam’s practical contribution to international affairs,” concluded the PM./. By Xuân Hồng |
