The Vietnamese Government encourages capable and experienced foreign enterprises to run long-term, stable operations in the country, particularly in energy infrastructure.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang (right) and Thomas Mitchell Little, President and CEO of UK-based Jadestone Energy Plc. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 24 for Thomas Mitchell Little, President and CEO of UK-based Jadestone Energy Plc, who will oversee his company’s operations in Vietnam.
Hang reaffirmed that Vietnam attaches great importance to its Strategic Partnership with the UK and highly values the robust development of bilateral ties, especially since the two countries issued a Joint Statement marking the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership (2010–2020), with a shared vision to further elevate relations in the coming decade.
She noted that bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UK reached 8.5 billion USD in 2024, up 18% from 2023. In the first half of 2025 alone, the trade volume exceeded 4.3 billion USD, representing a year-on-year increase of nearly 10%. The UK currently has 587 valid investment projects in Vietnam, with total registered capital of nearly 4.5 billion USD, ranking 15th among the 150 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.
Mitchell expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for its continued support and facilitation of Jadestone’s operations, affirming that Vietnam is a strategic market in the Asia-Pacific, with significant potential for natural gas development. He also provided updates on the progress of the company’s projects at the Nam Du and U Minh gas fields and expressed a strong interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnamese partners in the future.
Hang welcomed the company’s business plans in Vietnam and reaffirmed that the Vietnamese Government encourages capable and experienced foreign enterprises to run long-term, stable operations in the country, particularly in energy infrastructure.
𓄧 She stressed that the Government will continue to create favorable conditions for foreign investors, including Jadestone Energy Plc, to operate efficiently and sustainably in Vietnam./.
Over the past decade, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and the UK have made remarkable strides. On trade, the two countries have implemented the UKVFTA for more than four years, and most recently, the UK’s accession as the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has further strengthened bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting in Hanoi on June 28 with the UK business community and enterprises operating in Vietnam, outlining a vision for long-term cooperation in key sectors aligned with Vietnam’s newly issued “four strategic pillars”.
An official of the UK Department for Business and Trade identified green technology, fintech, health care, and many others as promising areas for deeper collaboration between Vietnam and the UK.
Addressing the meeting, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his pleasure at meeting a large number of Vietnamese living and working in the RoK, acknowledging and appreciating their efforts in contributing to the growing Vietnam–RoK partnership.
He also welcomed the “Vietnam Private Sector Panorama” as a platform for dialogue, awareness-raising, and inspiring a wealth-creation movement, emphasising that it must deliver tangible results.
During a meeting on August 10 in Seoul with 100 representatives from the RoK’s intellectuals, associations, people’s organisations, businesses, and non-governmental organisations operating in Vietnam, Party General Secretary To Lam expressed his gratitude to Korean friendship, economic, cultural associations, universities, research institutes, individuals, and NGOs for their significant contributions to nurturing the Vietnam–RoK relationship.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with Chairman of the Republic of Korea (RoK)–Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee is scheduled to convene its 48th session on August 11-13, with August 14-15 set as a backup date, according to the NA Office.
Vietnam’s Ambassador to Brazil and Bolivia Bui Van Nghi has led an embassy delegation to attend official events marking the 200th anniversary of Bolivia’s Independence Day.
Party General Secretary To Lam met with members of the Vietnam Innovation Network in Korea (VINK) and Vietnamese experts living and working in the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Seoul on August 10 as part of his state visit to the RoK.
In an interview with Korean media on the occasion of Party General Secretary To Lam’s state visit to the RoK, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the visit demonstrates Vietnam’s strong resolve to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the RoK, with the aim of fostering greater political trust, closer strategic coordination, more substantive and comprehensive cooperation, and stronger bonds of friendship between the two countries' people.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member and Secretary of the Government Party Committee, attended the 4th Party Congress of the EVN Party Organisation for the 2025–2030 tenure on August 10, directing EVN to ensure power supply to meet the country’s development demands with double-digit growth set for the coming years.
Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly, along with a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived in Seongnam Air Base in Seoul on August 10 afternoon (local time), beginning a state visit to the Republic of Korea from August 10-13.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly departed from Hanoi on August 10 morning for a four-day state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK), which is made at an invitation of RoK President Lee Jae Myung.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
