French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet. Photo: VNA

On threshold of the Bastille Day in France (July 14, 1789–2025) and the first anniversary of the two countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (October 7, 2024–2025), the diplomat, in an interview granted to the media, described friendship as one of the most profound characteristics of the bilateral ties, forged over a long history full of ups and downs, with both nations cherishing this uniqueness through their ability to look back on the shared past with calmness and goodwill.

The ambassador pointed to a powerful symbol of the special friendship during President Emmanuel Macron's May visit to Vietnam, when the French leader and Party General Secretary To Lam planted a tree at the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site in the Presidential Palace, near Ba Dinh Square, where the late leader read the Declaration of Independence 80 years ago.

Regarding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the diplomat traced its origin to Party chief Lam’s visit to Paris in October last year, followed by eight months of intensive work resulting in some 30 agreements signed across all areas during President Macron’s trip to Vietnam. Among the standout deals were defence cooperation frameworks, sustainable development commitments in energy transition and transport infrastructure, and innovation. Besides, he said a landmark pact between the French Development Agency (AFD) and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) marked the first Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) deal inked in Vietnam, paving the way for France’s further support for the Southeast Asian country’s carbon neutrality efforts by 2050.

On the element of trust, Brochet noted that President Macron's decision to choose Vietnam as the first destination of his Southeast Asia tour demonstrated the special importance France places on the country. It also reflected the desire to share views on the international situation and promote a cooperative relationship based on mutual confidence, evidenced in close cooperation during discussions between the French President and high-level Vietnamese leaders as they identified ways for both countries to better contribute to international peace, stability, and order.

Speaking on Vietnam’s ongoing administrative reform, the largest overhaul in decades, he said he has been impressed by the scale of the restructuring with swift implementation and encouraging initial results at both central and local levels. He also noted that a more efficient administrative system, as envisioned by General Secretary To Lam, will enhance the country’s decision-making capacity and create impetus for expanding international cooperation, including that between Vietnam and France.

France stands ready to support Vietnam’s efforts through the established administrative cooperation programmes spanning from central to local levels, the ambassador affirmed.

Discussing economic cooperation amidst global trade tensions, Brochet highlighted Vietnam's strategic advantage with the signing and implementation of the free trade agreement with the European Union (EVFTA), noting that only two ASEAN countries have such agreements with the bloc. He described the pact as an extremely important, fair, and balanced one that provides high predictability for future bilateral trade relations.

He said his hope that the agreement will not be affected by other trade deals inked under unfavourable conditions, stressing that both sides need to continue fully implementing the pact’s commitments while staying vigilant about non-tariff barriers that could be applied without transparency.

The diplomat expressed his satisfaction at the impressive bilateral trade growth of nearly 13% to over 5.4 billion USD in 2024, with exports to each other rising, saying the result has benefited both nations.

He expressed confidence in future French exports to Vietnam across several key sectors, including aviation with marked major contracts signed between Vietjet and Airbus during President Macron's visit and at the Paris Air Show.

In healthcare, he noted that this sector has ranked among top French export items to Vietnam in several years, experiencing significant year-on-year expansion. Besides, an agreement between Sanofi and Vietnam's leading vaccination system VNVC will set up a vaccine manufacturing plant near Ho Chi Minh City, enabling Vietnam to produce vaccines with Sanofi laboratory research.

In the meantime, the agriculture and food sector continues expanding to meet evolving demands of Vietnam's population, particularly the middle class with changing preferences. Ambassador Brochet noted that French products, ranging from agricultural items and processed foods to wine, effectively meet Vietnamese public expectations, providing a foundation for continued strong bilateral trade development in coming years.

With the embassy’s Bastille Day celebration, he said it is an opportunity to honour France’s three principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity as well as the bonds between the two countries./.