PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng encouraged French investors, including big groups, to increase their business activities in Việt Nam, especially in transport infrastructure, energy, information technology, aviation, banking, finance, and agro-product processing industry.
The Vietnamese PM suggested that (1) France consider listing Việt Nam as a country of top priority for trade promotion schemes; (2) the two countries hold a rotation of “Việt Nam Month in France” and “France Month in Việt Nam”; and (3) France grant more scholarships to Vietnamese students.
PM Dũng highly appreciated France for its ODA grants to Việt Nam, especially the commitment of its continued assistance worth of €1.4 billion up to 2010.
The PM was pleased with a variety of effective activities in cultural exchanges, education and training, and multilateral cooperation. He informed the French leaders about the Vietnamese Government’s decision to establish a Vietnamese Cultural House in Paris, and proposed the early signing of an agreement for the foundation of cultural centers in France and Việt Nam respectively. The Vietnamese leader also presented a model of three-sided cooperation with Africa and asked France to support the idea.
The French leaders asserted that France and Việt Nam have long-standing historical and cultural ties and highly valued Việt Nam’s increasing role and position in the region and the world. President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed that the two countries should strengthen their relations, especially economic ties. PM Francois Fillon affirmed that his Government would continue to support Việt Nam’s efforts to boost ties with EU as well as its bid for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
After the talks, the two PMs witnessed the signing of many important agreements and projects imbued with French imprints in Việt Nam, such as those to modernize the Medical University and the practical hospital in Hà Nội; restore the Long Biên Bridge; build the inner-city railway route Nhổn–Hà Nội Station; provide credits to water supply sector; agree on the purchase of aircraft A350–900 and A321 between Vietnam Airlines and Airbus; supply electric devices for the Sơn La Hydroelectric Plant; and an agreement on gas and oil cooperation.
Meeting with Vietnamese and French reporters, the two PMs briefed them the results of their talks and confirmed that the two sides had pledged to develop the bilateral relations to a new height so that this relationship should be taken as an example of the relationship between a developed country and a developing one.
Earlier, in the morning of the day, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng met the representatives of 30 French leading groups and businesses, including Total, France Telecom, Societe Generale, Axa, EMC, and Big C, at the office of the Movement of the French Enterprises (MEDEF).
After briefing Việt Nam’s economic development as well as advantages (human resource, market, international position), PM Dũng called upon French enterprises to promote investment in Việt Nam. He told them that one of central tasks the Vietnamese Government has to fulfill is to speed up administrative reforms and create a transparent and open environment for foreign investors in Việt Nam.
In the framework of the official visit to the French Republic, PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, his wife and entourage laid a wreath at President Hồ Chí Minh’s Monument, visited the Hồ Chí Minh Space and planted trees in the Montreuil Park, and had talks with Vietnamese nationals residing and studying in France.
