France, Vietnam augment transport cooperation

The delegation held 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 these events, Minister Thang affirmed that transport co-operation, including in air, railway, maritime, and road transport, is one of the priorities both countries have been promoting for many years.

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

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

Minister Vergriete said they had explored some topics to help foster a stronger bilateral partnerships. Indeed, Vietnam has an efficient seaport model and France hopes to strengthen maritime trade in the future.

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

The official expressed his desire to visit Vietnam in order to promote the co-operation potential of this expressway project, stressing that the two sides can further enhance collaboration in order to prove that Vietnam is a major trading partner of his country.

At the working session held 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 in the process of accelerating the eastern North - South Expressway project, of which more than 1,800km has been put into use. The country is targeting 3,000km of expressway which will 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 to ensure 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 that the French side is ready to share its specilised knowledge with the Vietnamese side about high-speed railway and expressway development.

During the visit, Minister Thang also held 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.

As part of efforts to step up ties in air transport, the delegation also engaged in a meeting with representatives of Airbus in France.

Minister Thang voiced his hope that Airbus, which has operated in the nation for over 40 years, will enhance 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 alongside relevant agencies to provide conditions for Airbus to carry out co-operation programmes and projects in the country.