Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai (R) greets former UK Prime Minister (Source :VNA) Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai received visiting former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Hanoi on October 19.
During the reception, the Vietnamese official highlighted recently fruitful cooperation between Vietnam and the UK in all fields, stressing that the UK is one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners in the EU.
Economic and trade links between the two countries recorded positive results, with two-way trade hitting 3.48 billion USD in 2014. The UK operates 217 investment projects worth 4.43 billion USD in Vietnam, ranking 15 th among 105 countries and territories investing in the country.
Deputy PM Hai thanked the UK government for its provision of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam in recent years, expressing his hope that Blair would continue helping Vietnam access the UK’s preferential capital sources and international development assistance funds, thus enhancing Vietnam’s efforts to combat climate change, grow sustainably and improve education.
Regarding the affiliation between Tony Blair Associates (TBA) and Vietnam, the Deputy PM praised the signing of a cooperation agreement between TBA and Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. It focuses on attracting foreign direct investment, State-owned enterprise reform and private-public partnership (PPP).
He also spoke highly of the results of Blair’s recent visits to Vietnam, saying that they helped promote the implementation of the agreement and strengthen the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership.
For his part, Blair said he aimed to boost relations between TBA and Vietnamese partner agencies with his visit.
TBA is especially interested in Vietnam’s policy of reforming State-owned enterprises, he stressed, adding that he hoped the Vietnamese Government would create favourable conditions for cooperation in the field.-VNA
