Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang, who also serves as head of the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam, hosted a reception for British Ambassador Iain Frew in Hanoi on March 24 to discuss the ASEAN – UK cooperation and Vietnam – UK ties.
The two sides reviewed strides in the ASEAN – UK relations in recent years, noting that 98.9% of the ASEAN – UK Plan of Action for the 2022–2026 period has been completed. They said this year marks the fifth anniversary of the ASEAN – UK Dialogue Partnership (2021–2026), which is expected to inject new momentum into their cooperation going forward.
Vietnam, in its role as coordinator for the ASEAN – UK relations for the 2024–2027 period, will continue working closely with the UK to steer the relations toward strong, comprehensive, long-term, and strategic development, in line with their cooperation needs and adapting to requirements in the new situation, he said.
According to him, Vietnam is actively promoting the drafting of the ASEAN – UK Plan of Action for 2027–2031, focusing on such priority areas as economy, finance, green transition, sustainable development, climate change response, innovation, and maritime cooperation.
On bilateral ties, Giang spoke highly of the UK’s support for Vietnam in building an international financial centre and driving all-around cooperation. He proposed that the European country continue sharing its experience in clean energy transition.
Frew, in response, commended Vietnam’s role as coordinator for the ASEAN – UK ties and its increasingly proactive and active role within ASEAN and on the global stage, particularly in addressing global and regional issues.
He also affirmed the UK’s readiness to work closely with Vietnam to carry out priority areas identified by both sides./.
VNA
