On March 21st, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh received and worked with French Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot on promoting cooperation in the field of transport between the two sides.
At the meeting, Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes congratulated comrade Tran Hong Minh to be appointed as the Minister of Construction (after the merger of the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Transport), and sai that transportation is one of the priority and important areas that Vietnam and France have promoted together for many years, including cooperation in railways, maritime, aviation and urban transport.
Minister Tran Hong Minh and French Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot were at the working session.
According to Minister Philippe Tabarot, many French enterprises want to cooperate, share experiences and promote their technological strengths in the field of high-speed railways.
Recalling the good results of the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to France in 2024 and the upcoming visit of the French President to Vietnam, Minister Philippe Tabarot believes that this is an important opportunity for Vietnam and France as well as the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and the French Ministry of Transport to promote cooperation and move forward in the new era.
Minister Tran Hong Minh spoke at the working session.
To further strengthen ties between the the two ministries, Minister Philippe Tabarot respectfully invited Minister Tran Hong Minh to attend the Paris International Air Show - the world's largest air show and the United Nations Ocean Conference, both sheduled for June in France.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Tran Hong Minh said that Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations in 1973 and by 2024, the two countries had upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the official visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to France in October 2024, making France the first country in the EU to have a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam. Over the past 50 years, the two sides have promoted comprehensive cooperation and maintained a regular dialogue mechanism in all areas of economics, politics, culture and defense.
Minister Philippe Tabarot spoke at the working session.
The Vietnamese minister noted that transport cooperation has long been a priority for both nations, with collaborations in aviation, railways, maritime, and road transport. Currently, Vietnam Airlines and Air France operate regular flights between the two countries.
The construction minister called for continued bilateral support and experience exchange in state management of the aviation sector, business facilitation for airlines from both countries, and training programmes to enhance the capacity of aviation personnel.
Scence of working session.
In addition, the Vietnamese National Assembly has approved the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project, the first of its kind in Vietnam, with a large scale, applying modern technology and techniques, integrating many specialties.
Minh expressed his hope that Tabarot, along with his ministry and relevant French agencies and organisations, would continue assisting Vietnam in training human resources, upgrading railway infrastructure, and sharing valuable expertise in high-speed railway construction, maintenance, and development. The minister also called for broader collaboration on future railway projects in Vietnam.
At the end of the working session, Minister Tran Hong Minh and Minister Philippe Tabarot agreed that the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in the coming time, making an important contribution to promoting comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and France in the new period.