Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France on June 9. (Photo: VOV/ Lai Hoa)

In terms of economic, trade, and investment cooperation, Chinh emphasised the principle of “three diversifications” – the diversification of markets, supply chains, and products. He urged France to work closely with Vietnam to boost bilateral trade and further open their markets to each other, especially amid the current complexities of the global economy.

The Vietnamese leader called on France to continue supporting and expediting the necessary procedures for completing the ratification of the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and to advocate for the European Commission (EC) to soon lift its "yellow card" warning imposed on Vietnamese seafood. He proposed France to support Vietnam in strengthening its capacity in strategic fields such as aerospace, satellite technology, energy technology, biotechnology, digital industry, semiconductors, quantum technology, digital infrastructure development, and digital economy.

The two leaders agreed to closely coordinate in promoting cooperation with regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the maintenance of peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).