The official visit to France by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam has attracted extensive attention from French media, which highlighted the “unprecedented” pace of high-level exchanges, increasingly concrete cooperation outcomes and growing convergence of strategic vision between the two countries.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference in Paris on September 10, 2026. Photo: VNA
The media said the visit will provide fresh momentum to deepen the Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in a substantive manner, particularly in forward-looking fields.
In an article published on September 10, online newspaper Mediapart highlighted President Emmanuel Macron’s assessment of the strong development of bilateral ties during General Secretary and President Lam’s visit. Speaking to the press, President Macron said exchanges between the two countries are both “continuous” and “unprecedented”, reflecting the momentum of their partnership.
The newspaper also cited several concrete outcomes of the visit, including a memorandum of understanding on Vietnam Airlines’ purchase of Airbus A350 aircraft and letters of intent for Vietravel Airlines to purchase 20 A220s and 30 A321neos. France pledged to provide Vietnam with an Earth observation satellite, while the two sides also agreed to cooperate in the fields of metals and critical minerals.
In a statement posted on its official website, the Élysée Palace highlighted new strides in bilateral relations. President Macron recalled that the two countries upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024 and that his state visit to Vietnam in May 2025 helped deepen bilateral relations based on respect for sovereignty, autonomy and stronger strategic trust.
The French leader said the unprecedented pace of high-level exchanges now demonstrates the vigorous development of their partnership, with increasingly tangible results in multiple areas.
Defence is identified a pillar of the partnership, including maritime security cooperation and stronger links between the two countries’ defence industries.
Regarding the economy, President Macron underlined the second meeting of the France–Vietnam Business Council, co-chaired by the two leaders, and reaffirmed commitments to implementing the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and pursuing prospects under the EU–Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).
He also underscored areas of strategic and high-tech cooperation. He thanked Vietnam for selecting France for the Earth observation satellite project, adding that in energy, his country hopes to become a leading partner in Vietnam’s decarbonisation efforts and nuclear power programme. The two countries are also promoting collaboration in rare earths and critical minerals, aviation, artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
On transport, he said that France is ready to participate in urban transport development, railway modernisation and the North–South high-speed railway project in Vietnam, building on urban railway cooperation in Hanoi. He also emphasised scientific, healthcare and educational cooperation, with healthcare described as a prominent field of the decades-long friendship between the two countries.
At a broader strategic level, President Macron said France and Vietnam share a desire to strengthen ties between Europe and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), develop economic and technological links, and ensure the autonomy of production chains. Both want to maintain their status as independent countries and safeguard their strategic automony through relations with trustworthy partners.
In an opinion published on September 10, La Tribune said France–Vietnam relations are increasingly forward-looking and moving beyond their shared past. Author Pascal Junghans said the top Vietnamese leader’s visit offers an opportunity to further intensify the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024.
The newspaper noted that France’s strengths match Vietnam’s development needs in infrastructure, railways, aviation – space, energy, high technology, green transition and human resources training. Deeper ties could help both countries diversify partners, markets and supply chains while enhancing economic autonomy and resilience.
It also said the two countries could tap into their strengths to serve as bridges between ASEAN and the EU. While France could facilitate Vietnam's access to markets, capital, technologies and value chains of Europe, Vietnam, with its geostrategic location, dynamic economy and expanding partner network could help France enhance connectivity with ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific.
Meanwhile, La Revue focused on the historical dimension of the relationship, highlighting General Secretary and President Lam’s floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at Montreau Park in Montreuil city. It quoted Montreuil Mayor Patrice Bessac as saying the late Vietnamese leader is an inseparable part of the city’s history and a shared source of pride.
The newspaper said the preservation of the Ho Chi Minh Space at the Museum of Living History in Montreuil represents the continuation of a historical legacy built over generations./.