Vietnam's Top Leader Concludes Fruitful Visits to Russia and France, Focusing on Economic and Technological Cooperation

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Government News Kim Anh Forieng Minister Le Hoai Trung In an interview with the press following the trips, Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung said the visits fulfilled the objectives and requirements set out, generating important outcomes in both bilateral relations and Viet Nam's socio-economic, scientific and technological development. The visits were the first trips to Russia and France by General Secretary and President To Lam in his new position following the successful 14th National Party Congress and the elections of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term. During the visits, the top Vietnamese leader held talks and meetings with the highest-ranking leaders of Russia and France, as well as representatives of political parties and leaders from various sectors, including businesses, academia, science and technology, and education and training. He also met with Vietnamese communities in the two countries. Members of the Vietnamese delegation conducted substantive working sessions with their Russian and French counterparts, contributing to concrete outcomes across a wide range of areas. A major outcome of the visits was the high level of consensus reached by Viet Nam, Russia and France on bilateral relations, issues of mutual concern and orientations for future cooperation. The exchanges helped enhance mutual understanding amid rapid changes in the regional and international landscape, while further consolidating the high level of political trust established through General Secretary and President To Lam's historic visits to France in October 2024 and Russia in May 2025, noted Le. Alongside political relations, the leaders placed strong emphasis on turning existing agreements into concrete results, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, investment, science and technology, and education and training. Despite the relatively short duration of the visits, a wide range of cooperation programs and orientations were discussed and reflected in the Viet Nam-Russia and Viet Nam-France joint statements, business forums, science and technology forums and cooperation documents signed during the visits. The minister said Viet Nam-Russia and Viet Nam-France cooperation still holds substantial potential, which should be fully tapped to meet the interests and development requirements of all sides. The three countries agreed that two-way trade and investment should be further expanded to match the frameworks of their comprehensive strategic partnerships, as well as their respective strengths, potential and development needs. Science and technology emerged as a particularly promising area, with both Russia and France expressing their readiness to make the sector a new breakthrough area in overall cooperation with Viet Nam. General Secretary and President To Lam called for renewed thinking and new approaches to economic and technological cooperation, which received strong support from the Russian and French sides. Instead of focusing primarily on the value of Viet Nam's imports from and exports to the two partners or conventional technology transfer, Viet Nam should work with Russia and France to promote joint research, production and development of products, while strengthening linkages and connecting supply chains, said Le. "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. Another important outcome of the visits, according to the minister, was that Russia and France gained a clearer understanding of and appreciation for Viet Nam's current development approach, paving the way for greater consensus on its joint implementation. General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Vietnamese leaders and the Government would direct relevant agencies to address specific projects and remove difficulties and obstacles where necessary, with a view to generating concrete results and opening up new avenues for cooperation. The strengthening of Viet Nam-Russia and Viet Nam-France relations will contribute not only to Viet Nam's socio-economic, scientific and technological development goals, but also to the implementation of the foreign policy set out by the 14th National Party Congress. As Russia and France are both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, stronger ties with the two countries will help Viet Nam enhance its international standing, strengthen its external relations in the Asia-Pacific region and the wider world, and contribute to peace, stability and cooperation at the regional and global levels, according to the minister. Regarding the International Space Summit in France, the minister noted that leaders of France, other participating countries and international organisations highly appreciated Viet Nam's participation and General Secretary and President To Lam's significant address at the event. Following the visits, Le said the immediate priority is to translate the outcomes of the visits 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 shared understandings. The plans should clearly identify tasks, timelines, focal points, responsibilities and expected outcomes, with the practical interests of people and businesses on all sides serving as the ultimate goal and concrete results as the measure of effectiveness. Second, existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms should be fully utilised. The sides should conduct regular reviews, promptly address difficulties and obstacles, closely monitor the implementation of high-level agreements and continue improving legal frameworks to facilitate key projects in strategic areas. Third, strategic and iconic projects should be prioritised. With Russia, priority should be given to strategic projects in areas such as the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power project, oil and gas, energy, railways and logistics, 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. Fourth, Viet Nam will strengthen coordination with Russia and France at international and regional forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN and other multilateral mechanisms in which the three countries 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 pe