French businesses show strong interest in Vietnam’s high-speed railway project: Minister

French businesses are particularly interested in Vietnam’s high-speed railway project and want to establish or expand cooperation with Vietnamese partners, visiting French Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot said at a meeting with Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh in Hanoi on Friday.

Tabarot said the two countries share an aspiration for cooperation for mutual development over the years, particularly in the transport sector, including railways, maritime, aviation, and urban transport.

To further strengthen ties between the two ministries, he invited his host to attend the Paris Air Show and the United Nations Ocean Conference, both scheduled for June in France.

The Vietnamese minister noted that transport cooperation has long been a priority for both nations, with collaborations in aviation, railways, maritime, and road transport. Currently, Vietnam Airlines and Air France operate regular flights between the two countries.

He also mentioned Vietnam’s ongoing construction of Long Thanh International Airport, which will have a total capacity of 100 million passengers per year upon completion.

The airport is expected to become Vietnam’s largest and serve as an international gateway, offering new opportunities for global aviation businesses, including those from France, to expand their connections in Vietnam and ASEAN, Minh said.

The construction minister called for continued bilateral support and experience exchange in state management of the aviation sector, business facilitation for airlines from both countries, and training programs to enhance the capacity of aviation personnel.

Minh told his guest that the Vietnamese National Assembly has approved the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project, the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian country.

He expressed his hope that Tabarot, along with his ministry and relevant French agencies and organizations, would continue assisting Vietnam in training human resources, upgrading railway infrastructure, and sharing valuable expertise in high-speed railway construction, maintenance, and development.

The minister also called for broader collaboration on future railway projects in Vietnam.