French president Macron to start visit to Vietnam this weekend

The three-day visit marks President Macron’s first trip to the Southeast Asian nation since taking office in 2017.

It also represents the highest-level exchange between the two countries since they established their comprehensive strategic partnership in October 2024, the ministry said on Tuesday.

Vietnam is the first destination on President Macron's tour of three Southeast Asian countries. 

Following Vietnam, Macron will visit Indonesia and then Singapore, both of which have recently entered into the same partnership with Vietnam.

According to observers, President Macron's visit to Southeast Asia highlights the region's significance to major economies amid an unpredictable global trade landscape.

Prior to Macron, leaders from other major economies such as China and Japan have visited Southeast Asia, with EU leaders expected to follow suit.

The upcoming visit by President Macron is seen as an effort to concretize the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.

In a joint statement issued in October 2024 during the visit of Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam, the two countries were committed to enhancing bilateral relations and deepening political cooperation in the face of international challenges.

Additionally, both sides pledged to develop defense and security relations, strengthen economic ties to boost trade and innovation, and promote people-to-people exchanges.

The Élysée Palace has high expectations for President Macron's visit to Vietnam, revealing to Reuters that dozens of agreements would be signed during the visit.

Cooperation in strategic infrastructure and energy with Vietnam is among the issues President Macron is expected to discuss during this trip.

Vietnam and France established diplomatic relations on April 12, 1973.

France is currently Vietnam's fifth-largest European trading partner after the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, and Italy, with bilateral trade reaching US$5.42 billion in 2024, up 12.9 percent from 2023.

In terms of investment, France ranks 16th among 147 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with 700 active projects and a total registered capital of $3.95 billion.