During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Vietnam, the two sides agreed to purchase 20 Airbus aircraft and signed a number of agreements in the fields of defence and technology, Vietnamese media reported on Monday.
France and Vietnam signed more than a dozen agreements, including a contract for the delivery of 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft to VietJet. In addition to the aircraft agreement, agreements were signed on co-operation in the fields of nuclear energy, railways, earth observation satellites and Sanofi vaccines.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed at a press conference that the partnership with Vietnam includes strengthening co-operation in the defence sector, including joint projects in defence and space. Macron said, “France supports freedom of navigation, which is important for Vietnam in light of the conflicts in the South China Sea.”
Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc specified that defence co-operation would include the exchange of strategic information, as well as the development of partnerships in the defence industry, cyber security and the fight against terrorism.
This visit, which was the first official visit by a French president to Vietnam in almost ten years, confirmed European officials’ concerns that Vietnam might make concessions to the United States at the expense of the European Union’s interests. Airbus is the main supplier of aircraft to Vietnam, accounting for 86% of the country’s air fleet. The signed agreements could help Vietnam balance its foreign trade relations amid pressure from the United States.
