Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and French Ambassador to Viet Nam Nicolas Warnery. (Photo: VGP)

During a reception in Hanoi on September 22 for French Ambassador to Viet Nam Nicolas Warnery, PM Chinh once again thanked the French Government and people for their timely donation of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Viet Nam.

Amid the current complicated developments of the pandemic, the PM suggested France continue donating, lending and ceding COVID - 19 vaccines and transfer COVID-19 vaccine and treatment medicine production technologies to Viet Nam, helping the country improve the capacity of its healthcare system and develop its pharmaceutical industry.

Toward the 50^th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 10^th anniversary of strategic partnership in 2030, PM Chinh expressed his wish that the two countries would work closely together to deepen and develop the strategic partnership more effectively, especially in the exchange of delegations at all levels, improving the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms and accelerating important projects and projects that see the participation of major groups such as Airbus, Total and EDF.

Describing Viet Nam as an important partner of France in Southeast Asian and a bridge to promote the France-ASEAN development partnership as well as the European Union-ASEAN ties, Warnery hoped that France's relations with Viet Nam will be strengthened more practically and effectively. France will coordinate closely with Viet Nam in regional and global issues of shared concern, he said.

The ambassador affirmed that a number of French major enterprises and groups such as Airbus, Thales, EDF, Total and Air Liquide want to invest in Viet Nam, especially in aerospace, infrastructure, renewable energy, climate change response and high technology.

He promised to work closely with French agencies to speed up the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), seek ways to donate more COVID-19 vaccines to Viet Nam in the near future, and urge the European Commission to soon remove its “yellow card” warning against Viet Nam’s seafood.

Both sides shared a view that the Viet Nam-France relationship within multilateral frameworks has been increasingly tightened and agreed to enhance coordination in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in French-speaking countries.

On the East Sea issue, Warnery affirmed that France wants to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation, settle disputes via peaceful measures  in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

On the occasion, PM Chinh asked the diplomat to convey his invitation to French PM Jean Castex to visit Viet Nam./.