Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and UK Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox (Source: VNA) London (VNA) – DeputyPrime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh is making an official visitto the UK on October 9-10 at the invitation of Secretary of State for Foreignand Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Hunt on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic relations.
Deputy PM and FM Minh had ameeting on October 9 with Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox,during which the two sides acknowledged the good growth of trade-investmentties between the two countries in recent years.
Two-way trade reached 6 billionUSD in 2017, up 11 percent from 2016, while total UK investment in Vietnam climbedto 3.71 billion USD, putting the UK at the 15th place among 129 countriesand territories investing in the country.
Deputy PM Minh said he believedBrexit would not create negative impacts on the trade-investment tires betweenVietnam and the UK. He asked the UK to continue backing Vietnam in enhancing tieswith the European Union and advocating the early signing of the EU-Vietnam freetrade agreement.
The Vietnamese Deputy PM thankedthe UK government for providing development aid for Vietnam over the past morethan 20 years, assisting with Vietnam’s socio-economic development andinternational integration. He asked the UK to continue helping Vietnam access capitalfrom its Prosperity Fund to improve the business environment and cope withclimate change.
The two sides welcomed theacceleration of negotiations on a bilateral free trade deal in order to furtherintensify trade-investment ties and cooperation in the framework of the WorldTrade Organisation after Brexit, thus contributing to deepening the Vietnam-UKstrategic partnership.
Secretary Fox appreciatedVietnam’s role in the Asia-Pacific, and expressed the wish to maintain andexpand economic-trade relations with Vietnam. He affirmed that in its GlobalBritain strategy announced in 2017, the UK gives priority to enhancing economiccooperation with important partners, including Vietnam.
Earlier the same day, theVietnamese Deputy PM and FM had a meeting with Viscount Astor, who recalled hisgood impression of the Vietnamese land and people during his visit to thecountry in 2013.
Viscount Astor presented theVietnamese guest with a special issue on Vietnam published by the FirstMagazine on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UKdiplomatic ties.
During the visit, Minh also hada working session with executives of several big British groups. He took theoccasion to announce Vietnam’s resolve and efforts to build an action-oriented,innovative government of integrity.
He stressed that Vietnam isworking to further improve its ranking in the e-Government index of the UnitedNations, maintain socio-political stability, while pushing forwards with economicrestructuring, equitisation and divestment at State-owned enterprises inaccordance with market rules and in an open and transparent manner, which Minhsaid is creating opportunities for British investors to become strategicshareholders of big companies in Vietnam.-VNA
Deputy PM and FM Minh had ameeting on October 9 with Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox,during which the two sides acknowledged the good growth of trade-investmentties between the two countries in recent years.
Two-way trade reached 6 billionUSD in 2017, up 11 percent from 2016, while total UK investment in Vietnam climbedto 3.71 billion USD, putting the UK at the 15th place among 129 countriesand territories investing in the country.
Deputy PM Minh said he believedBrexit would not create negative impacts on the trade-investment tires betweenVietnam and the UK. He asked the UK to continue backing Vietnam in enhancing tieswith the European Union and advocating the early signing of the EU-Vietnam freetrade agreement.
The Vietnamese Deputy PM thankedthe UK government for providing development aid for Vietnam over the past morethan 20 years, assisting with Vietnam’s socio-economic development andinternational integration. He asked the UK to continue helping Vietnam access capitalfrom its Prosperity Fund to improve the business environment and cope withclimate change.
The two sides welcomed theacceleration of negotiations on a bilateral free trade deal in order to furtherintensify trade-investment ties and cooperation in the framework of the WorldTrade Organisation after Brexit, thus contributing to deepening the Vietnam-UKstrategic partnership.
Secretary Fox appreciatedVietnam’s role in the Asia-Pacific, and expressed the wish to maintain andexpand economic-trade relations with Vietnam. He affirmed that in its GlobalBritain strategy announced in 2017, the UK gives priority to enhancing economiccooperation with important partners, including Vietnam.
Earlier the same day, theVietnamese Deputy PM and FM had a meeting with Viscount Astor, who recalled hisgood impression of the Vietnamese land and people during his visit to thecountry in 2013.
Viscount Astor presented theVietnamese guest with a special issue on Vietnam published by the FirstMagazine on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-UKdiplomatic ties.
During the visit, Minh also hada working session with executives of several big British groups. He took theoccasion to announce Vietnam’s resolve and efforts to build an action-oriented,innovative government of integrity.
He stressed that Vietnam isworking to further improve its ranking in the e-Government index of the UnitedNations, maintain socio-political stability, while pushing forwards with economicrestructuring, equitisation and divestment at State-owned enterprises inaccordance with market rules and in an open and transparent manner, which Minhsaid is creating opportunities for British investors to become strategicshareholders of big companies in Vietnam.-VNA
VNA
