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| The VBUK Executive Committee makes debut at the congress (Photo: VNA) |
Speaking at the congress, VBUK President Phuong Hoang said that so far this year, the association has coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK to organize a number of activities, including Vietnamese goods weeks in London and Nottingham, and the January Furniture trade fair in Birmingham.
According to him, these activities contributed to introducing Vietnamese products to local consumers and distributors, especially furniture, handicrafts and farm produce.
He added that many online conferences have been held by the VBUK to give consultancy to businesses and people in corporate governance, along with some social activities for Vietnamese businesses in the UK.
In the coming time, the association will focus on promoting trade partnership between businesses in the UK and Europe with their partners in Vietnam, increasing activities to enhance the prestige of the Vietnamese business community in the UK, and stepping up charity activities, he said.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long expressed his hope that the association will maintain its role as a bridge for the Vietnamese business community in the UK and Vietnam.
The Ambassador emphasized that the Vietnam-UK relations are expanding, especially in economy, trade and investment. Last year, two-way trade rose 17%, while Vietnam’s exports to the UK increased over 20%. The UK is currently one of the 10 biggest export markets of Vietnam, while Vietnam is the UK’s second largest export market in Southeast Asia, he added.
The UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) has brought about great chances to both sides to strengthen trade ties, he said, noting that in the first eight months of this year, two-way trade still grew despite complicated developments in the world.
He said that in 2023, many activities will be held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties. He asked for the VBUK's coordination in promoting the image of the nation and people in the UK and explore bilateral partnership opportunities between the two countries.
The VBUK, established in 2006, has supported many businesses in the UK and Europe to connect Vietnamese partners, while providing information on investment regulations in Vietnam to overseas Vietnamese people in the UK, and helped Vietnamese students to find study opportunities in the UK./.