The development of nuclear power for peaceful purposes, defense cooperation and building Vietnam’s biggest science and technology university were prominent among 13 agreements signed by Vietnam and France Thursday.

Following the signing of the agreements, the two leaders held talks that PM Dung described as “useful, cooperative, based on mutual confidence and understanding.”

Fillon said the agreements proved that Vietnam-France relations had reached a higher level, local newswire Vietnamnet said Thursday.

The French PM, who is on a two-day visit at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart, is accompanied by several ministers and many businesspeople, who he said are part of his plan to improve bilateral relations.

He pledged that France will help train 400 Vietnamese doctoral students, the Voice of Vietnam reported.

As Vietnam will assume presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year and France likewise of the G20 in 2011, the two leaders plan to collaborate with each other in efforts to have the global economy setting changed to give more chances to emerging and developing economies, Fillon said.

Dung referred to the historical and cultural relationship between Vietnam and France and expressed the hope that France will increase its presence in Vietnam in various fields including commerce, culture, economy, education, culture and technology.

He said Vietnam is willing to become a bridge between France and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and in return, France could help Vietnam improve relations with the European Union.

As France has listed Vietnam among 24 countries outside EU to benefit from priority commercial partnerships with the bloc, Dung said he wished this can be realized soon.

France and Vietnam have been sharing ideas as well as values on international issues and the two prime ministers agreed to continue supporting each other at international forums such as the United Nations Security Council, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the UN Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) and Francophone nations.

The leaders highlighted support for each other at the upcoming climate change summit in Copenhagen next month.

They also agreed to organize reciprocal cultural programs – the Vietnam Year in France and the France Year in Vietnam.

Fillon met with Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and President Nguyen Minh Triet at the welcome ceremony accorded him on Wednesday. The first French PM to Vietnam also passed on President Nicolas Sarkozy’s invitation for Triet to visit France.

France is the second largest aid donor to Vietnam after Japan. The country has donated over 2 billion euros (US$3 billion) for local programs and French firms have invested another $3 billion in 216 projects here.

Vietnamese exports to France totaled some $786 million last year.

Source: Thanh Nien