French Minister Delegate Éléonore Caroit said her working visit to Vietnam aims to review high-level commitments and translate them into concrete actions and practical cooperation projects.
Speaking to Vietnamese reporters in Hanoi on October 19, Caroit said she was pleased to visit just weeks after Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and President To Lam visited France in September 2026.
She said the countries were coordinating in rail transport, healthcare, energy transition, high technology and environmental protection.
Caroit described Hanoi Metro Line 3 as a model of bilateral cooperation. The pilot project helps address public transport challenges, improve living conditions for millions of capital residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through green mobility.
France is combining technology transfer and advanced equipment with in-depth training so Vietnam can master operational processes and ensure sustainable use.
After visiting energy projects in Phu Tho province on October 18, she said French funding and technical assistance would support clean electricity generation and Vietnam’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Caroit said the visit would promote a letter of intent on critical minerals involving Vietnam’s ministries of agriculture and environment and industry and trade, and France’s Ministry of Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty.
The French Geological Survey, BRGM, and French Development Agency, AFD, will work with Vietnam’s Department of Geology and Minerals to assess reserves and support sustainable extraction and processing. The partnership is expected to strengthen Vietnam’s industrial capacity and diversify raw-material supply chains for the energy transition.
Caroit said EU-Vietnam agreements on free trade and investment protection could encourage French technology, energy and industrial corporations to expand in Vietnam.
She noted that more than 3,000 Vietnamese doctors had received training during over three decades of bilateral healthcare cooperation.
France plans to expand education links in artificial intelligence, quantum technology and aerospace through scholarships, double-degree programmes and the Hubert Curien Partnership.
Caroit also valued the VIE international corporate volunteering programme, which supports exchanges and internships for young professionals and students.
On cultural cooperation, she praised Hanoi’s heritage tourism routes. She said the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum and Caen Memorial Museum project, together with France’s handover of a Dong Son bronze drum to Vietnam, reflected a commitment to preserving history and combating illicit cultural-property trade.
Ahead of the 20th Francophonie Summit in Cambodia this November, Caroit highlighted Vietnam’s role in the International Organisation of La Francophonie. The summit is returning to Southeast Asia 29 years after the 1997 meeting in Hanoi.
Caroit said France would continue working with Vietnam to expand French-language teaching in public schools and research institutes, making French a language of opportunity for young Vietnamese people pursuing international careers and entrepreneurship.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
