Top leader’s visits to Russia, France highlight Vietnam’s breakthrough development vision: expert

Rome (VNA) – The visits to Russia and France by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam not only marked new milestones in bilateral ties but also vividly demonstrated Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence and self-reliance and its breakthrough development vision in the new era, according to Giulio Chinappi, an Italian political analyst from the Centre for Mediterranean Eurasia Studies (CeSEM).

Talking to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Italy, Chinappi said the state visit to Russia came at a special time as the two countries look towards more than 75 years of diplomatic relations. This trip successfully linked the solid legacy of traditional friendship with a modern foreign policy vision directly serving Vietnam’s future development needs.

He highlighted the high-level talks between General Secretary and President Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other senior Russian leaders, saying they reaffirmed the exceptionally high level of political trust between the two countries.

The joint statement on further strengthening the Vietnam-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new period, along with a series of cooperation agreements in investment, energy, transport, science and technology, and nuclear safety, has provided a solid legal framework for the next phase of bilateral cooperation, he noted.

From a long-term perspective, Chinappi said the most strategic breakthrough of the visit is the determination to elevate cooperation in strategic technologies, science, innovation and digital transformation into new pillars of bilateral relations.

In the short and medium term, he said, energy cooperation would remain the area delivering the most practical and rapid results. Beyond traditional oil and gas cooperation, the two sides are expanding into nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, gas-fired power and offshore wind power.

Against the backdrop of Russia’s long-standing world-leading capabilities in basic research, engineering, biotechnology and digital technologies, while Vietnam is currently placing innovation and high-quality human resources at the centre of its growth model, Chinappi emphasised that combining Russia’s core technological capabilities with Vietnam’s need to transform its economic model promises to create new cooperation values.

Immediately following the Russia visit, General Secretary and President Lam’s official visit to France carries strategic significance for materialising the comprehensive strategic partnership framework established in 2024, the expert said, noting that France was the first EU country to elevate ties with Vietnam to this highest level.

France’s strengths are highly complementary to Vietnam’s sustainable development priorities, including low-emission energy, telecommunications technology, strategic minerals, modern infrastructure and high-quality human resources training, he said.

In particular, To Lam’s participation in the International Space Summit in France opened up an entirely new direction for cooperation, he said. The Vietnamese leader’s participation in this high-level forum not only provides access to advanced technologies but also affirms its position as a country ready to proactively contribute to the process of developing international “rules of the game” and governing outer space from an early stage.

At the regional level, France plays an important bridging role in helping Vietnam maximise the benefits of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), promote the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and support Vietnam’s efforts to have the “yellow card” warning over Vietnamese seafood exports for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing lifted. In return, Vietnam serves as a strategic gateway for France to expand its presence in the dynamic ASEAN region, the expert said.

Chinappi said General Secretary and President Lam’s visits clearly demonstrated Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations. In both countries, Vietnam and its partners reaffirmed strong commitments to peace, multilateralism, respect for international law and the central role of the UN Charter.

The trips went beyond routine diplomatic exchanges, reinforcing traditional strategic cooperation while opening new avenues for cooperation in technology, energy and outer space, he said, adding that the visits portrayed a confident and steadfast Vietnam, proactively building strong technological and diplomatic foundations to enter a new era of the nation's rise./.