Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held talks with UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab in Hanoi on September 30.
Mr. Minh welcomed Mr. Raab’s official visit to Vietnam, which takes place at a special time when the two countries are celebrating 10 years of their strategic partnership, believing that the trip will create new momentum for the bilateral relations.
He affirmed that Vietnam always considers the UK a leading important partner and highly values the latter’s role on the international arena. The UK Government wants to effectively promote the strategic partnership with Vietnam, and it also appreciates Vietnam’s increasingly important role and position in the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian regions, Raab stressed.
Both sides agreed to work out a plan to resume the exchange of delegations when conditions allow, enrich contents for such cooperation mechanisms like strategic dialogue, defense policy dialogue, and joint economic and trade committee. The two countries agreed to encourage and facilitate investment in such fields like high-technology, telecommunication, oil and gas, finance-banking, insurance, renewable energy, and smart city development in a bid to contribute to economic recovery in post-COVID-19 pandemic.
The two countries also pledged to coordinate in strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and the UK as well as in preparing for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) scheduled to take place in the UK next year.
On the occasion, the two sides issued the Joint Statement on Viet Nam-UK strategic partnership Raab is the first European politician to come to Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out./.
