Vietnam, UK enjoy best bilateral relationship

Friday, 05/10/2018 08:37
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, Vietnam and the UK are enjoying the best period of bilateral relationship, with effective cooperation in all areas.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Tran Ngoc An (Photo: VNA)

So said Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Tran Ngoc An during an interview granted for the press ahead of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh’s visit to the UK, and the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam - UK diplomatic relationship.

According to Ambassador An, the visit to the UK by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh is the most important event among activities marking the two countries’ 45th year of diplomatic relations, during which he will have a series of important meetings with the UK Government, Parliament and the Royal Family for boosting strategic partnership.

Additionally, he will chair the meeting marking the diplomatic relationship between the two countries, with art performances and cultural events promoting the Vietnamese country, people and culture; together with a wide range of trade and investment promotion activities.

Talking about the good relationship between the two countries, Ambassador An said that in politics, the two sides had maintained high-ranking visits. “Vietnamese leaders, including Party General Secretaries, State Presidents, Prime Ministers and National Assembly Chairpersons visited the UK, while the two countries officially set up a strategic partnership in 2010, opening up many cooperation mechanisms, thus creating a firm foundation for the development of bilateral relationship,” he added.

In investment, the UK is now among the 15 largest foreign investors in Vietnam, with some USD4 billion.

In education, the number of Vietnamese students in the UK has increased rapidly, up to the current 12,000, contributing to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

In terms of defence cooperation, Vietnam and the UK have opened military attaché offices; exchanged delegations; shared experience, especially in peacekeeping activities. “We appreciate UK support for Vietnam in operating the field hospital in South Sudan,” he said.

Notably, people-to-people exchanges have been remarkably increased. The UK people have more and more understanding about Vietnamese culture, country and people, with the number of UK tourists to Vietnam increasing rapidly over the past several years, at nearly 300,000 in 2017. “Vietnamese specialties like noodles, noodles and grilled meat, or rolled dish, attract more and more UK customers,” Ambassador An went on to say.

Giving an assessment on the two countries’ future relationship, Ambassador An said that there is huge potential in cooperation left. “Both Vietnam and the UK find in each other a partner that plays an important part in carrying out its foreign policies,” he said.

“There is also a lot of potential in economic, trade and investment cooperation,” he added. However, although Vietnam is the 25th largest partner among over 200 trade partners with the UK, Vietnam’s export to the UK accounts for less than 1% of the country’s imports. The UK direct investment to Vietnam of USD4 billion does not reflect the UK potential, as it is one of the five countries with the largest amount of investment abroad (some USD300 billion), and is the country attracting the greatest amount of foreign investment in the world.

“Being one of the bright points in economic development in Asia, with impressive development of stock market over the past years, Vietnam can access a huge source of capital through cooperation with the UK,” Ambassador An added.

He also stressed the prospect for cooperation in other areas, including science and technology, defence, education, and people-to-people./.

Compiled by BTA

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