According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, the top leader’s visits aim to reaffirm Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, active and proactive international integration in a comprehensive and extensive manner. They also demonstrate the high regard that the Party and State of Vietnam have for the traditional friendship with Mongolia, the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Ireland, the strategic partnership with France and the desire to elevate and deepen cooperation frameworks with those countries in line with the new situation and the interests of the countries.

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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son

To Lam’s state visit to Mongolia is of great significance, as it takes place on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and bilateral ties are currently at the best stage of development. The Party General Secretary and President will discuss with top Mongolian leaders major directions and important measures to further tighten political trust and intensify cooperation in prioritized fields, especially in politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchange.

For Ireland, this will be the first state visit since the two countries established diplomatic ties. Ireland shares many similarities with Vietnam in terms of history, patriotic traditions, aspirations for progress, and diverse and unique culture; therefore, there remains ample room for both sides to boost cooperation.

During the visit, senior leaders of Vietnam and Ireland will discuss measures to promote extensive cooperation in fields where Vietnam has needs and Ireland has strengths, such as high-quality investment, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy transition, and education and training, particularly higher education.

For France, on the basis of the special relations and the results of the strategic partnership over the past more than 10 years, leaders of the two countries will discuss measures to lift the strategic partnership to new heights, making it deeper and more substantive, commensurate with the potential and status of both countries in the region and the world; enhance trade and investment cooperation; promote traditional fields of cooperation, namely culture, education, science and technology, as well as cooperation between localities. The leaders will also touch upon measures to expand cooperation in new and promising fields, such as aerospace, renewable energy, high technology, and digital economy, among others.

Through the trip, Vietnam will continue to strengthen coordination with these countries in resolving regional and global issues; encourage these countries to continue to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate more deeply into the life in home countries, promoting its role as a bridge to promoting Vietnam's friendly relations with other countries.

During his stay in France, Party General Secretary and President To Lam will also participate in the 19th Francophonie Summit. This will be the first time the Vietnamese top leader has attended the summit. At the event, he will deliver an important speech to spread the message of a pro-active, responsible Vietnam that is always ready to join the international community in addressing challenges and contributing to a future of peace, friendship, solidarity, and sustainable development.

According to the diplomat, To Lam’s visits takes place in the context of the relations between Vietnam and Mongolia, Ireland, France and the Francophone community witnessing positive developments and obtaining many good outcomes.

Mongolia was a strong supporter of Vietnam, both materially and spiritually, in the past struggle for national liberation and independence. Today, the two countries regularly help and support each other in national construction and defense, and development. They maintain close cooperation through Party, State, and Government channels, and people-to-people exchanges, gaining significant results.

Ireland is currently the sixth-largest trade partner of Vietnam in the E.U. market. It prioritizes Vietnam as one of two Asian countries to receive its development assistance, focusing on the fields of education, gender equality, climate change response, support for ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and post-war bomb and mine clearance.

Up to now, Ireland has granted around 250 scholarships to Vietnamese undergraduate and graduate students through the full Irish Aid scholarship program implemented since 2009. Meanwhile, the two countries are boosting the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

For France, after 50 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of upgrading the relations to a strategic partnership, political trust between the two countries has been increasingly reinforced.

Most recently, for the first time, the French Minister of the Armed Forces attended the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, affirming France’s desire to join Vietnam in "putting aside the past, looking forward to the future," for peace, cooperation and development.

France is currently one of Vietnam’s leading European partners in tourism, trade, investment, and ODA. It has taken part in many projects contributing to the development, modernization, and improvement of the quality of life and environment for the Vietnamese people, such as the Nhon - Hanoi metro line and climate change response projects in the Mekong Delta, to name but a few.

Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son shared that the Vietnam-Francophonie cooperation continues to develop positively. The Francophone community (OIF) regards Vietnam as a model for socio-economic development and a center in Francophone cooperation activities in the region. For its part, Vietnam is one of the members strongly promoting the economic pillar, especially digital economy within the Francophone space.

With 88 member countries and territories, a population of about 1.2 billion people, the Francophone economic space offers ample room for Vietnam to enhance cooperation in an extensive manner, especially in economy, trade, investment, education and training, agriculture, tourism, science, and technology, and more.

With these positive developments, the foreign minister believed that the Party General Secretary and President To Lam’s visits will wrap up successfully and achieve significant results, contributing to firmly consolidating the foundation in relations with Mongolia, Ireland, France and the Francophone community, while opening up new potential in cooperation with each country, contributing to deepening and making these relations more substantive and effective in line with the new situation.

Translated by Quynh Oanh