(VOVworld)- UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation between the UK and Vietnam during his visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on April 12-13.
UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
A UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office press release said on Monday the visit offers an opportunity for the UK to increase collaboration on trade, investment, education, science and innovation with Vietnam, a country that has had remarkable achievements as one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. The Foreign Secretary said the UK’s relationship with Vietnam spawns many sectors with bilateral trade more than doubling since 2010. However, there is still scope for British companies and products to increase their presence in the Vietnamese market, especially in infrastructure, advanced engineering, healthcare, energy, and financial services.
According to Hammond, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), in particular, is expected to create huge opportunities to expand cooperation in trade and investment. He noted that the UK is actively supporting Vietnam’s education reform plans and collaborating on science and technology through the UK’s Newton Fund. In 2010, the UK became one of the first countries to establish strategic partnership with Vietnam. The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Tuesday to discuss ways to enhance Vietnam-UK cooperation and address global challenges like climate change and illegal wildlife trafficking. He will later travel to Ho Chi Minh City to meet with British businesses operating in Vietnam.