Hanoi, Vietnam – Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang met with French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet in Hanoi on November 23, emphasizing the significance of defence cooperation in the Vietnam-France strategic partnership. During the meeting, General Giang outlined the progress in bilateral defence relations, aligning with the Vietnam-France defence cooperation agreement and the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-France defence cooperation for 2018-2028. He highlighted the positive outcomes of this cooperation, including delegation exchanges, the strategic defence dialogue, training, UN peacekeeping, military medicine, and coordination in multilateral forums.

According to Vietnam News Agency, future cooperation should focus on strengthening meetings at all levels, finalizing training cooperation frameworks, effectively implementing specialized agreements, and expanding collaboration into new areas of mutual interest. Ambassador Brochet expressed his appreciation for Vietnam’s regional role, particularly in ASEAN, and noted the positive implications of the recent conversation between General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron. He mentioned France’s intention to advocate for enhanced EU-ASEAN cooperation and confirmed France’s ongoing support for Vietnam in UN peacekeeping initiatives. The ambassador also offered French language training for Vietnamese personnel involved in peacekeeping missions in French-speaking regions, underscoring the deepening ties between Vietnam and France in both strategic and practical domains.