The UK Government will continue offering strong support to Viet Nam  and its ongoing renewal and reform process, a UK diplomat has pledged.

An overview of the Viet Nam -UK Strategic Dialogue in London (Photo: VNA)

Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire made the promise on the sidelines of the Viet Nam -UK Strategic Dialogue in London on October 22, which was co-chaired by the diplomat himself and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.

Swire said that the UK is ready to share its experience with Viet Nam  in the fields of public-private partnerships, financial and banking activities and the organisation of major sports events – with Viet Nam  chosen as the host of the 2019 Asian Games.

He also called for Vietnamese support as the UK has many investment opportunities for businesses from Southeast Asia and a lot of UK companies want to do business in Viet Nam .

Deputy Minister Son said the UK is one of the few countries that Viet Nam  has set up a strategic partnership with, adding that its increasing role in providing international jobs and training makes it a particularly attractive partner.

The diplomat suggested cooperation in various fields in which the UK excels, including trade, investment, education and training.

He also voiced his hope that the UK will continue its official development assistance to Viet Nam  to help the country fulfill the Millennium Development Goals and cope with global challenges such as climate change.

The Viet Nam -UK Strategic Dialogue, the third of its kind since Viet Nam  and the UK established their strategic partnership in September 2010. Since then the relationship has strengthened and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made his first official visit to the UK in January at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron. The two nations are also celebrating the 40th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties.

During the latest dialogue, views on regional and bilateral issues were shared, such as ASEAN’s economic prospects, the application of a principle-based international economic system, business and investment and post-2015 international development.

Other topics up for discuss included international integration, Viet Nam ’s foreign policy, the UK’s diplomatic policy towards Asia and ASEAN, climate change and energy security.

At the end of the dialogue, the two sides issued a joint statement in which they rolled out their future plans to further promote their fruitful relationship.

(Source: Vietnamplus)