On the occasion of attending the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, on June 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets French President Emmanuel Macron, France's Nice, June 9, 2025 - Photo: VGP

Amidst a complex global landscape, the two leaders expressed determination to elevate bilateral relations, positioning each country as a gateway partner in the Asia-Europe regions. They agreed to enhance exchanges at all levels, particularly high-level visits, to continuously strengthen political trust and review and promote cooperation agreements.

Regarding economic, trade and investment cooperation, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised the spirit of "three diversifications": diversification of markets, diversification of supply chains, and diversification of products. He called on France to work closely with Viet Nam to boost bilateral trade and further open markets for each other, especially in light of current global economic uncertainties.

The Prime Minister also proposed that France continue to prioritise and expedite the approval procedures for completing the ratification of EVIPA and to urge the European Commission to soon lift the IUU "yellow card" imposed on Vietnamese seafood products. In addition, the two leaders agreed on the need to strengthen security cooperation, energy transition efforts, and expand projects to address climate change in the coming period.

To fully leverage the emerging pillar of science and technology cooperation in Viet Nam-France relations, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the importance of effective implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation. He called on France to support Viet Nam in enhancing capacity in strategic fields such as aerospace, satellite technology, energy technology, biotechnology, digital industry, semiconductor technology, quantum technology, digital infrastructure development, and the digital economy.

On artificial intelligence, President Macron agreed with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's proposal to position France as one of Viet Nam’s leading partners in this field, aiming to ensure that AI development is transparent, fair, and sustainable. The two sides also highlighted the significant role of French medicine in Vietnamese healthcare and agreed to deepen medical cooperation, with the goal of making Viet Nam a model for applying French medical technologies in Southeast Asia.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that he would closely direct Vietnamese ministries and agencies to seriously and effectively implement agreements reached by the two countries' top leaders. He also called on President Emmanuel Macron to instruct relevant French agencies to coordinate closely with the Vietnamese side to promote substantive and effective cooperation, commensurate with the level of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two leaders also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern and agreed to work closely in promoting cooperation with Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the maintenance of peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also emphasised the need to strengthen maritime cooperation, including the promotion of the blue economy, maritime security, and protection of coastlines and the marine environment.