Symposium talks achievements, prospects of Vietnam - UK relations

A symposium was held in Hanoi on September 12 to review the achievements and development prospects of Vietnam - UK relations on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Hoang Phuc Lam, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said that since the two countries set up diplomatic ties on September 11, 1973, the relations have continued to develop to the great benefit of both sides.

In 2010, the two nations elevated their ties to a strategic partnership – a high level in international relations, showing the importance of the bilateral ties to both countries in terms of security and prosperity.

In 2020, the two sides issued a new joint statement affirming that they will outline directions for the development of the bilateral ties in the following 10 years with the hope of elevating the relations to a new level. After that, the UK - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) was signed in London in late 2020 and officially came into force on May 1, 2021, he noted.

Lam went on to say that in the recent past, cooperation between Vietnam and the UK has been enhanced comprehensively in both bilateral and multilateral aspects and recorded outstanding achievements in all fields.

In terms of politics and diplomacy, they have increased opinion sharing and cooperation at the ministerial and senior official levels between their government agencies, while boosting exchanges between the parliaments, political parties, local administrations, and people.

Regarding economic affairs, Vietnam is among the few Asian partners who have signed an FTA with the UK. In 2022, bilateral trade reached 6.84 billion USD, comprising 6.07 billion USD worth of Vietnamese exports and 771 million USD worth of imports from the UK, he elaborated.

Addressing the symposium, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew expressed his delight that the two countries have managed to foster their partnership, including in climate change response and environmental protection, amid global challenges.

Talking about the prospects of the bilateral relations, he said the UK is exerting efforts to further intensify the partnership with Vietnam, and its goal in Vietnam is to continue strengthening their close-knit connections.

Both sides have obtained numerous achievements in recent years, and those achievements have laid a stepping stone for future successes, the ambassador added.

At the event, participants, including scientists, discussed the relations over the last 50 years, highlighted milestones, and identified opportunities, potential and prospects of the bilateral ties for the time to come.

They also gave some proposals for enhancing the links between the two countries, including the cooperation between the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the UK Embassy in Vietnam./.