General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam's state visit to Russia, official visit to France and attendance at the International Space Summit from September 7-12 produced comprehensive and substantive outcomes, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung has said.
In an interview granted to the press following the trip, Trung said the visits achieved the objectives and requirements set out, with important results for Viet Nam's relations with Russia and France as well as the country's development in the new period.
The trips were General Secretary and President Lam's first visits to the two countries in his new position following the successful 14th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.
It also carried special significance as it was the first state visit to Russia by a top Vietnamese Party and State leader since 1991, and General Secretary and President Lam's second official visit to France. His participation in the space summit was also significant, as it was the first international summit at the head-of-state level devoted to outer space, according to Trung.
The Vietnamese leader received warm and solemn welcome in both Russia and France, reflecting the importance the two countries have attached to relations with Viet Nam and its Party and State leaders, the minister said.
During the visits, the Vietnamese top leader held talks and meetings with the highest-ranking leaders of both countries, representatives of political parties and leaders from various sectors, including businesses, academia, science and technology, and education. He also met with Vietnamese communities in the two countries.
Members of the Vietnamese delegation held substantive working sessions with their counterparts, contributing to concrete outcomes across a wide range of fields.
A notable outcome was the high level of consensus reached between Viet Nam and the Russian and French leaders on issues of mutual concern, the achievements of bilateral relations and directions for future cooperation.
The exchanges helped enhance mutual understanding amid new developments in the regional and international situation, while further consolidating the high level of political trust established following the Vietnamese top leader's historic visits to France in October 2024 and Russia in May 2025, Trung said.
Beyond political ties, the Vietnamese, Russian and French leaders placed strong emphasis on translating existing agreements into concrete results in such areas as economy, trade, investment, science and technology, and education and training.
Despite the relatively short duration of the trip, a wide range of cooperation programmes were discussed and recognised in the Viet Nam-Russia and Viet Nam-France joint statements, business forums, science and technology forums and cooperation documents signed during the visits.
Viet Nam and Russia, as well as Viet Nam and France, can fully leverage their cooperation potential to meet the requirements and interests of each party.
All three sides agreed that two-way trade and investment should grow further to match the comprehensive strategic partnership frameworks and the respective strengths and potential of the countries.
Science and technology emerged as a particularly promising area. Both Russia and France agreed that the sector should become a new breakthrough area in their cooperation with Viet Nam.
General Secretary and President Lam called for a change in thinking and new approaches to economic and technological cooperation, a view that received strong support from the Russian and French sides.
Rather than focusing mainly on how much Viet Nam imports from or exports to its partners, or on conventional technology transfer, Viet Nam should work with Russia and France to conduct joint research, production and development of common products, while strengthening linkages and connecting supply chains, Trung said.
“This is a very important approach to guiding cooperation between Viet Nam and Russia and between Viet Nam and France in the coming period,” he noted.
Trung added that another highly significant point of the visits is that, through meetings and exchanges, the countries have gained a clear understanding and appreciation of Viet Nam's current approach, thereby reaching consensus to jointly implement it.
General Secretary and President Lam affirmed that the Vietnamese leaders and Government would direct relevant agencies to address individual projects and remove difficulties and obstacles where necessary, with the aim of producing concrete results and opening new avenues for cooperation, according to the minister.
The development of Viet Nam – Russia and Viet Nam - France relations contributes not only to the achievement of Viet Nam's socio-economic and scientific-technological development goals in the coming period. As Russia and France are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, strengthening ties with the two countries will help Viet Nam implement the foreign policy set out by the 14th National Party Congress, enhance its international standing and reinforce its external relations in the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world.
Closer cooperation with the two countries can also contribute to peace, stability and cooperation at regional and global levels, Trung said.
Regarding the International Space Summit in France, leaders from France, other nations, and international organisations highly appreciated the participation and significant address of the Vietnamese top leader, Trung said.
Turning agreements into concrete projects
The next priority is to ensure that the outcomes of the visits are translated into specific programmes, plans and projects.
First, Vietnamese ministries, sectors, localities, agencies and businesses, together with their Russian and French counterparts, should closely coordinate in developing action plans based on high-level agreements and common perceptions, Trung said.
Such plans should clearly identify tasks, timelines, focal points, responsibilities and expected results, with the practical interests of people and businesses on both sides as the ultimate goal and concrete outcomes as the measure of effectiveness.
Second, existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms should also be fully utilised. The sides need to conduct regular reviews, promptly address difficulties, closely monitor the implementation of high-level agreements and continue improving legal frameworks to facilitate key projects in strategic areas.
Third, the implementation of strategic and iconic projects should be prioritised. For Russia, priority should be given to strategic projects, including the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant project, oil and gas, energy, railway and logistics projects, as well as joint research, technology transfer and human resources training.
With France, Viet Nam should continue to effectively implement the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), while actively addressing bottlenecks in trade, investment, market connectivity, logistics and supply chains. The two sides should create favourable conditions for businesses to participate more deeply in specific projects.
Forth, Viet Nam will also strengthen coordination with the countries at international and regional forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN and other multilateral mechanisms in which Viet Nam and its partners participate.
As a member of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), Viet Nam wishes to deepen cooperation with member states, including Russia and France, to promote the peaceful use of outer space and contribute to sustainable development.
Looking ahead, Trung expressed his confidence that, under the direction of the governments of the three countries and with continued efforts by relevant agencies, Viet Nam, Russia and France will make full use of their potential and opportunities to bring bilateral relations into a new period of stronger and more effective development.
Such cooperation, he said, will contribute to the development of each country while better meeting the aspirations and interests of their people and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
