Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha (right) and Secretary of State for Scotland of the UK Alister Jack. (Photo: quochoi.vn) Hanoi (VNA) - Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha hosted a reception for Secretary of State for Scotland of the UK Alister Jack in Hanoi on October 4, where he affirmed that Vietnam-UK ties are thriving, especially since the upgrade of ties to a strategic partnership and the signing of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).
Congratulating the UK on completing negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Ha expressed his belief that the move will serve as a lever for trade growth between the two countries and bring practical benefits to their citizens in the near future.
Apart from economic and trade cooperation, he wished that the UK would continue assisting Vietnam in building institutions and policies, training workforces and transferring technology during the green transformation and sustainable development process. He also hoped that the two countries would strengthen cooperation in the field of education and training, including joint training programmes with universities in Scotland.
He expressed his hope that both sides will continue to facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations, while offering mutual support at multilateral forums, stepping up trade and investment cooperation, and encouraging UK firms to increase their investments in Vietnam in the fields of the UK’s strength that align with Vietnam's development directions.
Via parliamentary diplomatic channels, the Vietnamese NA wishes to continue strengthening political trust, people-to-people exchanges, expanding and improving the effectiveness of all-around cooperation, sharing experience in post-pandemic economic recovery, green and sustainable growth, as well as addressing regional and global issues of mutual concern, he said.
Affirming that the CPTPP is a new-generation free trade agreement with a large scale that opens up many opportunities for bilateral cooperation, Jack wished that that both sides would further nurture ties across economic, trade, and various other sectors, contributing to deepening the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership in a more practical and effective manner.
The UK official also hoped that the Vietnamese NA and Government will continue paying attention to removing institutional barriers, thus making it easier for UK firms to do business in Vietnam./.
