France to help Vietnam address global challenges, affirms ambassador Brochet

Brochet started his working term in Vietnam at a time when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomatic ties.

He described the relationship between Vietnam and France as special, recalling the age-old bond between the two peoples despite the ups and downs in the two countries’ histories, and said his mission as Ambassador is to further strengthen this special relationship.

France will work alongside Vietnam to address great challenges of the world today, including combating climate change and protecting biodiversity, Brochet told media workers, talking about his priorities during the new working term.  

He said France’s view is that all commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Scotland (December 2022) must be implemented, and to do this, rich countries must support developing countries in achieving their goals.

During the July 2022 Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, world leaders warned that without an overhaul of the global financial system the international community would fail to address the twin challenges of climate change and poverty. They proposed not trading off combating climate change with the fight against poverty, stressing that rich countries must support developing countries in realizing their goals.

France has affirmed that it would fulfill its commitment through the Just Energy Transition Partnership framework, mobilizing a total of US$15 billion to support Vietnam’s energy transition over the next five years. Half of the amount would come from government funding, and the remainder would come from private sources based on Vietnam’s real needs.

France will support Vietnam with EUR500 million over five years to meet its energy goal, announced Ambassador Brochet.

In his view, both France and Vietnam hold great potential for increasing cooperation in various economic fields, especially energy. He revealed that the two countries are working on many cooperation projects in this fields.  

During his working term, the diplomat said he would also help Vietnam adapt to European legal and environmental standards, so that Vietnamese products can take advantage of frameworks such as the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement to make inroads into France and the EU without barriers.

Brochet said he would accompany French businesses to seek more investment opportunities and supply their products to Vietnam in the fields of security-defense, aircraft mannufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and food processing.

Another priority, according to the diplomat, is strengthening France – Vietnam cooperation at international forums to promote shared values, such as respect for sovereignty and international law.

Currently, France is the second largest European investor in Vietnam. It is also one of the few countries that have established a special mechanism for promoting French support activities in Vietnam represented by the French Development Agency (AFD).

France has deployed many education and training support programmes for Vietnam, with its scholarships for Vietnamese students amounting to EUR1.6 million a year, ranking third among French partners.

Over the past 30 years, tens of thousands of Vietnamese students have come to France for study. French research agencies have also developed many cooperation programmes with Vietnamese partners in the fields of science - technology, agriculture, and health.

These activities contribute to creating an increasingly close bond between the French and Vietnamese people, said the Ambassador.

In 2018, France unveiled its Indo-Pacific strategy that highly values the role of ASEAN and Vietnam in particular. Ambassador Brochet noted that France’s focus on foreign policy in the region will create favourble conditions for France-Vietnam cooperation to thrive in the coming time.