Ceremony marks 50th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties

At the event (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-UK Friendship Association, in collaboration with the UK Embassy in Hanoi, held a ceremony on September 11 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties (September 11).

Speaking at the event, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said since the official establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, Vietnam and the UK have been developing a strong, effective and dynamic partnership across all areas.

The establishment of the bilateral strategic partnership in 2010 and the Joint Declaration on the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership in 2020 demonstrated the strong commitment and vision of both governments. The UK is now one of Vietnam's most important strategic partners, and the two countries have maintained regular high-level dialogues and exchanges.

Last year, two-way trade hit 6.9 billion USD, making the UK the third largest European trade partner and the ninth biggest importer of Vietnam globally.

In 2020, Vietnam and the UK signed the bilateral free trade agreement. The UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year also contributed to increasing the role of the trade alliance, bringing the GDP of the bloc to 14 trillion USD and creating opportunities for both countries to strive towards the 10 billion USD target, Vu added.

According to him, education is another crucial pillar in the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, with 12,000 Vietnamese students in the European country. The UK, renowned for its long-standing and world-class education system, has set Vietnam as one of its priority countries in its international education strategy. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the British Council's operations in Vietnam and the 30th anniversary of the Chevening Scholarships offered by the UK Government in Vietnam.

Both countries are also working together to address global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in energy transition and climate change adaptation.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

On the basis of the achievements obtained over the past five decades, Vu said he believes that bilateral relationship will keep growing and expanding across all the fields.

UK Ambassador to Vietnam  Iain Frew said Vietnam has undergone an impressive journey of economic development and global integration, in which the UK is proud to have played a significant role.

Speaking highly of the potential of joint work in health care, research, renewable energy, investment and trade, he committed to strengthening the enduring bond between the two countries which, he said, continues growing stronger over the time./.