Paris (VNA) – French President Emmanuel Macron and his spouse’s state visit to Vietnam from May 25 - 27 will be a golden opportunity for the two sides to deepen their multi-faceted relations and handle pending challenges, particularly in trade, according to a French scholar.

In a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondent in Paris, historian Prof. Dr. Pierre Journoud laid stress on the uniqueness of the Vietnam – French partnership that few countries can claim as well as the significance of Macron’s upcoming trip, following the visits by Presidents François Mitterrand in 1993, Jacques Chirac in 1997 and 2004, and François Hollande in 2016.

President François Mitterrand’s 1993 visit helped close an old chapter and open a new cooperation stage in the bilateral ties, and now Macron’s trip is taking place at a time when Vietnam has gone far from the war and is showing its aspirations for strong international cooperation as well as active participation in multilateral diplomacy.

The two countries share consensus on strategic benefits, particularly multilateralism and international laws which have been threatened in a world full of volatilities, he underscored, saying he has been impressed by Vietnam’s proactive role both regionally and globally to promote diplomacy for peace.

Journoud expressed his belief that the Vietnam-France relationship could serve as a global model for post-conflict reconciliation, elaborating the two countries, once adversaries, reconciled swiftly and have pursued an approach of peace, neutrality, and moderation in settling regional disputes.

He said Macron’s visit is coming in the context of geopolitical shifts and following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024. While it is still too early to assess the full impact of this upgrade, Journoud considered the move as a crucial step in building mutual trust and enhancing mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.

The historian praised the impacts of the political relations on new dialogue mechanisms between the two countries, particularly in the area of maritime, adding the maritime dialogue between the two foreign ministries is a concrete reflection of the strategic depth of the relationship.

On the economic front, he acknowledged the complementary nature of the two economies and suggested that there is vast untapped potential to bolster bilateral trade. He noted France’s share of the Vietnamese market has shrunk dramatically, from 5-6% four decades ago to just 0.5% today.

He also highlighted the Vietnamese community in France, numbering between 300,000 and 350,000, as a powerful bridge in the bilateral relationship. He recognised that interest in Vietnam is growing steadily among the French despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. More and more French are visiting Vietnam to get first-hand experiences.

Academic exchange is another area of growth, he noted, adding there are some 6,000 Vietnamese students studying in France, while more French students are showing interest in Vietnam, said Journoud.

Journoud called for greater awareness among French policymakers and businesses about Vietnam. He proposed the establishment of a network of intermediaries who have considerable experience in bilateral cooperation to provide support for enterprises, legislators, and policymakers regarding access to the Vietnamese market./.