Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue (behind, center) witnesses the exchange of cooperation agreements between businesses and localities of Vietnam and the UK at a high-level forum on economy and trade between the two countries in London in June 2022. (Photo: VNA)
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 ten 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 that have signed an FTA with the UK. In 2022, bilateral trade reached US$6.84 billion, comprising $6.07 billion worth of Vietnamese exports and $771 million 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.
VNA