Vietnam promotes multifaceted cooperation with UK
VOV.VN - Vietnam wishes to strengthen cooperation in all areas with the UK in line with the 2020 joint declaration on the strategic partnership between the two countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told UK Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack in Hanoi on October 3.
Son noted with satisfaction the growing ties between Vietnam and the UK in recent times, and proposed that the two sides increase visit exchanges, effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and closely cooperate at multilateral forums.
He also proposed that the two sides actively implement the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), and encourage British businesses, including those from Scotland, to invest in Vietnam’s prioritized areas such as finance, science-technology, innovation, green transition, and energy transition.
Son again congratulated the UK on officially joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). He highly appreciated the UK’s role within the framework of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Vietnam and international partners, and requested that the UK continue to support Vietnam in policymaking, human resources training, technology transfer for green transformation and sustainable development.
The minister also underlined the need for the two sides to strengthen cooperation in education and training, including joint cooperation with Scottish universities.
Secretary Alister Jack expressed his joy at the positive results of the Vietnam - UK strategic partnership, and affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of the UK in the region based on their high political trust.
According to the UK official, the UKVFTA has contributed to further promoting economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. He maintained that the potential for bilateral cooperation remains huge and that the UK would continue to encourage its businesses to increase investment in Vietnam.
Jack thanked Vietnam for supporting the UK in joining the CPTPP Agreement, and agreed that the two sides continue to coordinate closely within the framework of this agreement.
He shared Son’s proposals that the two sides ramp up cooperation in other fields such as science - technology, education - training, local cooperation, and smart agriculture. He assured his host that the UK would continue to support Vietnam in climate change response, renewable energy, and green finance.
Exchanging views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, both host and guest agreed that ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea plays an important role for peace and prosperous development of the region and the world at large. They also maintained that all disputes need to be resolved peacefully through dialogue, on the basis of compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
