Les Echos, a leading French financial newspaper, covered the talks between General Secretary Trong and President Macron on March 27, stating that the Party chief’s trip to France aimed to facilitate economic cooperation and strengthen France’s relations with Vietnam, one of the most vibrant economies in Asian with an annual growth rate of over 6% since the early 21st century.
Vietnam is currently in the process of rapid international integration, with the Vietnam-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement expected to be ratified by all member countries and take effect this year, as well as the country’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Les Echos reviewed the France-Vietnam economic cooperation over the past few years, noting that France is currently the 16th largest investor in the Southeast Asian country with a total investment capital of approximately US$2.8 billion. It also touched on General Secretary Trong’s meeting with the two countries’ businesses as part of his visit to France, during which the Party leader mentioned the cooperation fields of shared concern, such as energy, food processing, transportation, healthcare, and the digital economy.
Meanwhile, L'Humanité, the mouthpiece of the French Communist Party, published an interview granted by Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, whilst covering the activities of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Paris.
Lisa Sankari, a correspondent of L'Humanité, stated that the Vietnamese leader’s visit took place at a critical moment as France is a member of the UN Security Council and could play a crucial role in helping Vietnam to open the door into Europe. In addition to political issues, Sankari said there remain many potential spheres for Vietnam-France cooperation, such as energy and the environment.
Le Parisien, another daily French newspaper, provided extensive coverage of General Secretary Trong’s visit to Choisy Le Roi, which witnessed the five-year negotiations on the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. In the city, the Party chief visited the “Paris Agreement” square, which was inaugurated in 2013 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement, and met French friends.
Challenges, a weekly French language business magazine, and BFMTV, a news TV channel, on March 27 touched on the economic contracts signed between France and Vietnam on the occasion of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit.
