London (VNA) – The upcoming official visit to the United Kingdom andNorthern Ireland by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs PhamBinh Minh will create new momentum for the Vietnam-UK relations, now at theirbest development period, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Tran Ngoc An hasaffirmed.

In his interview granted to Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the visit,Ambassador An stressed that Deputy PM Minh’s visit is the most important eventamong those held between the two countries to celebrate 45th anniversary of the diplomatic relations.

During his stay, Deputy PM Minh will have meetings with representatives of theUK Government, Parliament and the royal family to bolster the strategicpartnership between the two countries, he said, adding that this is animportant period for both sides as the UK is leaving the European Union (EU)and advocating to broaden relations with countries outside Europe, whileVietnam is integrating deeply into the global economy with its increasingposition in the international arena.

Deputy PM Minh will chair a celebration to mark the 45 years of bilateral diplomaticestablishment, which includes a stellar cultural programme “Vietnam Culture Dayin the UK”, an exhibition displaying Vietnamese traditional costumes, and aphoto exhibition highlighting Vietnam as an attraction of the world.

Also, Minh will chair and attend a line-up of economic events to enhancetwo-way trade and investment, the diplomat added.

Ambassador An said that since the two countries set up diplomatic relations in1973, they have enjoyed positive achievements in their cooperative ties.

In the field of politics, they have maintained high-level meetings andexchanges. The Vietnamese Party General Secretary, President, Prime Ministerand Chairwoman of the National Assembly have already visited the UK. Meanwhile,the UK Prime Minister, parliamentary leaders, and members of the Royal familyhave visited the Southeast Asian country several times. In 2010, the twocountries officially established the bilateral strategic partnership, pavingthe way for the formation of various cooperative mechanisms such as strategicdialogue, Joint Committee on Economic Cooperation, and working group on defenceties. They have served as a firm foundation to further the bilateral ties.

On investment, the UK is now among the top 15 foreign investors in Vietnam,registering 4 billion USD in the country. Despite the complicated sitution inthe world’s economy, two-way trade increased sharply to hit 6.1 billion USD in2017, of which Vietnam exported 5.4 billion USD worth of products, up 10percent from the previous year and tripling the figure recorded in 2010.

In the field of education, there are some 12,000 Vietnamese students studyingin the European country. Receiving training in the world’s leading educationenvironment, they will make positive contributions to the socio-economicdevelopment in Vietnam when returning home.

Regarding defence cooperation, the military attaché’s offices were set up inboth nations. In addition, delegation exchange and experience sharing, especiallyin peacekeeping activities, have been maintained.

Furthermore, people-to-people exchanges have been enhanced in recent years. UKcitizens now have a deeper understanding of the Vietnamese culture thanks to anarray of activities to introduce and popularise Vietnamese culture and tourism.Vietnamese traditional cuisines like “pho”, “bun cha”, and “nem cuon” have beenfavoured in the UK and Vietnamese restaurants are now mushrooming in London andother big cities.

Ambassador An said that the two countries still have huge cooperative potentialin the coming time. They see each other important to carry out their foreignpolicies.

During Brexit, the UK prioritises relations with Asia-Pacfic in its “GlobalBritain” strategy. In the writing on the “All of Asia” policy, Minister ofState for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field affirmed that the UKis seeking ways to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and looking for opportunities to enhanceconnections with the ASEAN. Meanwhile, Vietnam has played an increasinglyimportant role in cooperative frameworks and multilateral forums, including theCPTPP and the ASEAN.

As the two countries have complementary economies, there is large room for themto foster trade and investment. Although Vietnam is the 25th largestpartner of the UK, Vietnamese shipments to the country make up only 1 percentof its imports. In addition, the UK’s direct investment in Vietnam is stillmodest as it invests some 300 billion USD in foreign countries and becomes the5th largest foreign investor in the world.

The diplomat also relished his prospects for cooperation in other sectors likescience-technology, defence and education. He said that increasing mutualunderstanding will open up new opportunities for collaborative projects in thetime to come.-VNA