French Senate President meets with the Prime Minister for discussions

Paris Meet: Pham Minh Chinh and Gerard Larcher Headline Bilateral Discussion

In the heart of Paris, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, held discussions with the President of the French Senate, Gerard Larcher, on Tuesday. The bonhomie-filled talk formed part of Pham's tour of France.

Praising Larcher's warm welcome, Chinh extended greetings from the Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, State President Lương Cường, and National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

Chinh lauded France's success in hosting significant international events, including the Olympic Games, the 19th Francophonie Summit in 2024, and most recently, the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3). Recognizing Việt Nam's participation and ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), Chinh underscored Việt Nam's backing for France's role in promoting international cooperation and enhancing sustainable marine and ocean governance and conservation.

Larcher, in turn, expressed his delight at reuniting with Prime Minister Chinh and hailed Chinh as a dear friend of France. Both leaders appreciated the positive advancements in bilateral relations, the strong cooperation between their legislative bodies, and the recent socio-economic achievements of both countries in spite of global uncertainties.

Highlighting the upward trend in bilateral ties, Chinh emphasized the need to amplify cooperation in defense and security, including peacekeeping, disaster relief, science-technology, energy, and transportation. They expressed intent to enhance collaboration in education and training, cultural exchanges, and historic site preservation.

In healthcare, they discussed potential vaccine production not only for Việt Nam but also for the region, referencing a recent technology transfer agreement between Sanofi and Việt Nam's VNVC.

Expressing the desire to fortify the exchange of high-level delegations, both leaders vowed to facilitate interactions between specialized committees and friendship parliamentary groups. The goal was to learn from one another and improve the efficacy of legislative activities.

Chinh advocated for the French Senate to bolster its cooperation with Vietnam's National Assembly in approving bilateral agreements and strengthen coordination and mutual support at regional and global inter-parliamentary forums. He also expressed his hope that France would soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Chinh requested Larcher's support in facilitating France's early confirmation of hosting the 13th Việt Nam-France Decentralised Cooperation Conference. This crucial mechanism fosters local and people-to-people exchanges and should be sustained and promoted, particularly as both countries elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Discussing regional and international matters of common interest, they voiced their support for ASEAN's stance on the East Sea (South China Sea) and underscored the importance of preserving peace, stability, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the region based on the rule of law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They emphasized the need to resolve disputes peacefully, in accordance with international law, without resorting to force or threats of force.

On this occasion, Chinh cordially conveyed an invitation from National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn to Senate President Gerard Larcher to visit Việt Nam.

As of June 2025, the status of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) remains in the ratification phase among EU member states, with calls for progress from Vietnamese and EU officials. However, no specific update confirms that France has completed the ratification process for the agreement. In summary, while ratification by France is anticipated as part of the broader EU process, no specific status update confirming France's ratification is currently available.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (right) meets with President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher in Paris on Tuesday. - VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, discussed the importance of promoting international cooperation and sustainable marine and ocean governance, citing France's successful hosting of events like the Olympic Games and the UNOC 3.
Chinh and Larcher acknowledged the strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in defense and security, science-technology, energy, and transportation, and expressed the intention to further enhance collaboration in education, cultural exchanges, and historic site preservation.
In the realm of healthcare, they spoke about potential vaccine production, referencing a recent technology transfer agreement between Sanofi and Vietnam's VNVC.
Chinh requested Larcher's support in France's early confirmation of hosting the 13th Vietnam-France Decentralized Cooperation Conference, emphasizing its significance in fostering people-to-people exchanges.
The leaders agreed on the importance of preserving peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, based on the rule of law, and urged peaceful dispute resolution in accordance with international law.
Chinh extended an invitation to Larcher to visit Vietnam, and the status of the EVIPA, while still in the ratification phase among EU member states, awaits France's ratification as part of the broader EU process.