Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai received visiting former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Ha Noi on October 19.

During the reception, the Vietnamese official highlighted recently fruitful cooperation between Viet Nam and the UK in all fields, stressing that the UK is one of Viet Nam’s leading economic partners in the EU.

Deputy PM Hai thanked the UK government for its provision of official development assistance (ODA) to Viet Nam in recent years, expressing his hope that Blair would continue helping Viet Nam access the UK’s preferential capital sources and international development assistance funds, thus enhancing Viet Nam’s efforts to combat climate change, grow sustainably and improve education.

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai (R) greets former UK Prime Minister (Source :VNA)

Regarding the affiliation between Tony Blair Associates (TBA) and Viet Nam, the Deputy PM praised the signing of a cooperation agreement between TBA and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. It focuses on attracting foreign direct investment, State-owned enterprise reform and private-public partnership (PPP).

For his part, Blair said he aimed to boost relations between TBA and Vietnamese partner agencies with his visit.

TBA is especially interested in Viet Nam’s policy of reforming State-owned enterprises, he stressed, adding that he hoped the Vietnamese Government would create favourable conditions for cooperation in the field.

(Source: VNA)