Việt Nam suggests ways to promote multilateralism at Francophonie Summit

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm gave an address at the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris on October 5 (local time). — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

PARIS — Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm attended official sessions and delivered an important speech at the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris on October 5.

Addressing a session on reformed multilateralism, the Vietnamese leader affirmed the unreplaceable role of multilateral mechanisms and highlighted contributions by the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) to settling the issues of shared concern of the international community, as well as to building frameworks and principles on emerging issues.

To uphold the role of multilateralism, he emphasised the necessity to connect it with major transition processes, particularly digital transformation and green transition. The Francophone community should also adapt to this trend and assist members to improve their technological capacity, develop clean energy, and successfully realise the Sustainable Development Goals. Science and technology form the key for the community to make breakthroughs in the future.

Meanwhile, to improve the efficiency of multilateral institutions, including the OIF, Lâm pointed out the importance of promoting reforms to respond to swift changes of the world situation and the Francophone space.

He suggested the Francophone community carry out reforms in a way that focuses more on its members’ priorities, especially in terms of economic cooperation and coordination to implement the documents of the Summit of the Future.

Multilateralism is successful only when its inclusiveness, comprehensiveness, and centre on people, especially the young, are guaranteed, he continued, calling on the Francophone community to keep bolstering people-to-people, cultural, and educational exchange programmes in the French language so as to maintain a beautiful language linking Francophone members, thereby spreading the results of the community’s cooperation to all people.

At the summit, participating leaders highly valued the Francophone community’s contributions to promoting dialogue, building peace, and bringing into play cultural and language diversity, thereby helping implement the Sustainable Development Goals and cope with global challenges.

They also voiced concerns over recent complicated developments in the world, especially in the Middle East. They underlined the request for reforming multilateral mechanisms, including Francophone ones, improve the mechanisms’ efficiency, and adapt to the trends of the era in a timely manner.

The 19th Francophonie Summit wrapped up on the same day, with the adoption of several important documents, including the Villers-Cotterêts declaration, a resolution on the political system and consolidation of peace in the Francophone space and statement of solidarity with Lebanon.

The summit also agreed the official membership of Ghana and Republic of Cyprus to the OIF, raising the number of the organisation’s members to 93. Besides, it admitted Angola, Chile, Canada’s Nouvelle-Escosse Province, France’s Polynesia region and Germany’s Sarre state as observers.

Furthermore, it decided the organisation of the 46th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie in Côte d'Ivoire next year and the 20th Francophonie Summit in Cambodia in 2026. Hà Nội hosted the 7th summit in 1997.

The 19th summit took place in France on October 4-5.