Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long (L) and the UK’s Minister for Investment Lord Gerry Grimstone (Photo: VNA)

At a working with Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long in London on Wednesday, Grimstone spoke highly of Vietnam’s economic achievements and potential. He suggested the two countries intensify mutual understanding and trust building following post-pandemic opening, contributing to enhancing their bilateral cooperation.

The two sides reached consensus on cooperation priorities in the coming years, with a focus on such areas as green trade, finance and transformation, renewable energy, education and tourism.

For his part, Long said the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership is at its best ever and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) is opening up new opportunities and bringing pragmatic interests to businesses and people of both sides. Two-way trade hit 6.6 billion USD last year, up more than 17 percent year-on-year, he said, adding that the UK is an early investor in Vietnam, mainly in oil and gas, insurance, banking and education, with total capital amounting to over 4 billion USD. The diplomat expressed his belief that the bilateral collaboration, particularly in trade, investment and tourism, will grow further in the time ahead, and affirmed that Vietnam backs the UK’s joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).