Vietnam, France enhance transport cooperation

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang led a Vietnamese delegation on a working visit to France from April 8 to 10 during which the two sides agreed to promote all areas of transport cooperation.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang (left) and French Minister with responsibility for transport Patrice Vergriete at their meeting that forms part of the Vietnamese delegation's visit to France from April 8 to 10

The delegation had meetings with French Minister with responsibility for transport Patrice Vergriete, agencies of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, and representatives of Airbus Group.

At the events, Thang affirmed that transport cooperation, including in air, railway, maritime, and road transport, is one of the priorities both countries have been promoting for many years.

He said Vietnam will create conditions for France to send large-sized vessels to Vietnam, open more international shipping routes to major ports in the Southeast Asian nation, and boost railway cooperation.

The two sides will also review the agreements signed since the 2000s to align them with the current context, especially the issues related to technology, green port development, and CO2 emission reduction, in order to ensure more fruitful ties in all aspects, he noted.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Minister Vergriete said they looked into some topics to help foster bilateral partnerships. Vietnam has an efficient seaport model, and France hopes to strengthen maritime trade cooperation in the future.

The two countries share the same goal of developing road transport, particularly the North - South Expressway project in Vietnam. France is experienced in this regard and completely able to support Vietnam during the implementation of this project, he went on.

The official expressed his wish to visit Vietnam to promote the cooperation potential in this expressway project, stressing that the two countries can further enhance collaboration to prove that Vietnam is a major trading partner of his country.

At the working session with the Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) under the French Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, Minister Thang said the Vietnamese Government is prioritising the development of comprehensive infrastructure, including road infrastructure. It is accelerating the eastern North - South Expressway project, of which more than 1,800km has been put into use. The country targets 3,000km of expressway to be completed by 2025 and 5,000km by 2030.

As France is strong at managing and operating urban transportation, he called for the European country’s assistance so that people in Vietnam can soon access convenient, safe, and seamless transport services.

Meeting with the Vietnamese delegation, Rodolphe Gintz, Director General of the French Directorate General for Infrastructure, Transport and Mobility (DGITM), noted the French side is ready to share its specilised knowledge with Vietnam about high-speed railway and expressway development.

During the visit, Minister Thang also had working sessions with Paris public transport operator RATP, Ile-de-France Mobilities (IDFM) – the governmental authority that coordinates companies operating in the Paris-area public transport, and the French National Railway Corporation (SNCF) to discuss partnerships in railway transport.

To bolster ties in air transport, the delegation also engaged in a meeting with representatives of Airbus in France.

Thang voiced his hope that Airbus, which has operated in Vietnam for over 40 years, will step up ties with Vietnamese ministries, sectors, and agencies, especially in new areas such as aerospace and aviation-related science, technology, and training.

He also affirmed that his ministry will keep working with relevant agencies to provide conditions for Airbus to carry out cooperation programmes and projects in the country./.

VNA