The UK is an indispensable partner of VN: Deputy PM
VGP – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that the United Kingdom (UK) has been and will always be an indispensable partner of Viet Nam, in his remarks at the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam-UK diplomatic relations in London on October 9.
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The deputy PM highly appreciated the special relationship between Viet Nam and the UK, which has been connected by the two countries’ people via tourism and academic activities, as well as via the regular visits made by the two sides’ senior leaders.
The UK currently ranks 15th in terms of investment in Viet Nam with 267 valid projects worth US$3.71 billion, while Viet Nam is operating 11 projects in the UK with a total registered capital of US$10 million.
Many of the UK’s big firms, such as HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Prudential, Harvey Nash, and Rolls Royce, are operating successfully in Viet Nam, the official said, noting that bilateral trade reached US$6 billion in 2017.
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The Viet Nam-UK strategic partnership has developed beyond economic cooperation, thriving in many other spheres of sustainable and innovative development, education, and UN peacekeeping missions.
Bilateral cooperation in education-training has also been growing positively, with the UK government giving 25-30 scholarships to Vietnamese students annually. At present, around 12,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the UK, while there are 32 educational link programs between the two countries’ educational establishments.
Meanwhile, the number of the UK tourists travelling to Viet Nam continues to grow year by year, reaching more than 300,000 in 2017.
Viet Nam welcomes the UK government’s “Global Vision”, Deputy PM Minh said, calling on the UK to actively contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region.
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For his part, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Office of the UK, Mark Field, highlighted the significance of strengthening cooperation between Viet Nam and the UK, expressing his belief that the bilateral relations would continue to thrive in the coming decades.
At the ceremony, Deputy PM Minh present friendship orders and medals to a number of UK individuals who have made significant contributions to accelerating friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
By Vien Nhu
