French politician lauds Vietnam's foreign policy

Vietnam is implementing a positive and constructive foreign policy, significantly contributing to the development in the Southeast  Asian region, said Denis Rondepierre, member of the French Communist Party (FCP) Central Committee.

Participants at the online 37th ASEAN Summit in 2020

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 76th founding anniversary of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector, he said Vietnam’s official membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995 started its regional integration process.

Vietnam has made important contributions to the development of the bloc, actively promoting the admission of Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia to the association.

Vietnam plays a central role in defining ASEAN's goals, development orientations and policies, and actively participates in building the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, he said.

2020 was an important milestone as Vietnam assumed the rotating ASEAN Chair, he said, noting that Vietnam gave priority to promoting intra-bloc cohesiveness and responsiveness to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Rondepierre also mentioned other successes of Vietnam in its foreign policy and international integration, including the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

According to him, not only in the region, Vietnam has also improved its position in the international arena when successfully assuming its role at the United Nations (UN).

He called on France and Vietnam to strengthen bilateral cooperation, thus contributing to building economic links in the framework of the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect one year ago.

According to the French official, the trade bond between Vietnam and France is concentrating on in a number of key sectors such as aviation, pharmaceuticals, farm produce,  electronics and textiles.

Many French companies have set up production and business establishments in Vietnam. The European country has so far had 614 projects with a total investment capital of 3.6 billion USD in the Southeast Asian nation.

Rondepierre stated that France and Vietnam have increasingly reinforced their strategic partnership over the past years, including the fruitful development of traditional friendship and solidarity between the two communist parties./.

VNA