Logo unveiled to mark 50th anniversary of UK-Vietnam diplomatic ties

Hanoi (VNA) - The British Embassy in Vietnam on December 14 officially announced a logo to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (September 11, 1973 - September 11, 2023).

The logo design contest, which was organised by the British Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam, received 290 entries. The contest winner is Ngo Quang Trung, a student in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Trung, his logo was inspired by Vietnam's Khue Van Cac (Pavilion of the Constellation of Literature) and the UK's Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower). It testifies to the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries as well as the balance of the bilateral relations, he said.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew said the winning logo of the competition will become the official logo for all activities in 2023 of the British Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam.

He expressed his pleasure in arriving to Vietnam at such an exciting time, with a series of new developments. These include the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, a newly refreshed strategic partnership, a UK-Vietnam Free Trade agreement, and the UK becoming an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) dialogue partner.

Regarding bilateral relationships in the future, the ambassador said the UK and Vietnam will continue to work on global issues together such as climate change, in the context of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh making the historical net zero commitment at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. The two countries have also been working on the Just Energy Transition Partnership.

“And with the recent visit of our Armed Forces Minister to attend the Vietnam Defence Expo, as well as our existing cooperation with Vietnam in UN peacekeeping, we are committed to being a reliable, trustworthy and long-term partner,” he said.

The ambassador said to promote the bilateral ties, the UK will focus on education, trade and sustainability – which are key to the collective future.

He also announced that British festivals will be organised in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City next year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
There will be high-level visits of UK leaders to Vietnam and Vietnamese leaders to the UK. The UK plans to convert its Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City into a building fit for a modern financial centre.

The first ever UK-Vietnam People to People Dialogue will be launched next year that will see businesses, academics, educational organisations and others build and foster links between the UK and Vietnam outside of the traditional Government to Government framework.

2023 will also be the 30th year of the British Council operating in Vietnam and the 30th anniversary of Chevening Scholarships in Vietnam. The British Council is one of the leading providers of English language training in Vietnam and has created lasting bonds between the two countries by showcasing British culture and teaching English to successive generations.

Since 1993, about 550 talented Vietnamese students have received Chevening Scholarship for one year of study in the UK. They are not only the leaders in their sectors and professions but also become living bridges between the UK and Vietnam.

Vietnam and UK established diplomatic ties on September 11, 1973. Over the past 50 years, the two countries have built and developed a strong cooperative relationship in various fields. The areas of cooperation include politics & diplomacy, global and regional issues, trade-investment, development cooperation, sustainable socio-economic development, education & training, security-defense and people-to-people exchanges.

The two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and the UK has so far this year fetched 5.9 billion GBP (7.2 billion USD), up 12.4% year on year.

Around 15,000 Vietnamese students are currently studying in the UK with many more students applying to study in the UK. People-to-people diplomacy has been pushed up across a range of sectors./.