~ Le Vięt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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France leading European partner of Vietnam

France is a leading European partner of Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told his French counterpart Francois Fillon in their talks in Paris yesterday.

“Vietnam-France relations have seen fine development in various fields within the framework of ‘traditional friendship, comprehensive, long-term and reliable cooperation in the 21st century’,” he was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency. He said French investors would increase business ties with Vietnamese partners, especially in infrastructure, energy, information technology and space aviation. He proposed France consider putting Vietnam on the list of key nations to accelerate trade promotions. He underlined France’s development assistance to Vietnam, especially its pledged 1.4 billion euros from now until 2010, saying he was happy at increased cultural exchange and training and education cooperation between the two countries.

France should become Vietnam’s special partner in providing high-quality personnel training, he said. He proposed France, when holding the EU Presidency in the last six months of 2008, support Vietnam’s bid to foster its relations with the European Union (EU).

PM Fillon said the French government would continue support for Vietnam’s effort to strengthen ties with the EU and become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2008-09. After the talks, the two government leaders witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and contracts, including a contract to buy 10 Airbus A350-900s and 20 Airbus A321-200s, a credit program, an agreement with the French Development Agency on aid for the Hanoi-Nhon railway and a protocol on the upgrade of the Long Bien bridge.

PM Dung also met French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris yesterday.

The Saigon Times Daily - October 2, 2007.


France open to Vietnam civil nuclear cooperation

PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed on Monday cooperating with Vietnam over civil nuclear activity, his spokesman said. Vietnam is planning to increase its overall power generation capacity to cope with increased demand as a result of rapid economic growth.

"The president indicated that he was open to cooperation in nuclear matters," David Martinon said after a meeting between Sarkozy and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. France is not the first country to show interest. The United States said on Sept. 12 it had agreed to share up-to-date nuclear safety and non-proliferation practices with the communist nation's civilian power programme.

Martinon added that Sarkozy had said France would support Vietnam's candidature to the U.N. Security Council.

Reuters - October 1, 2007.