At the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang commended the newspaper for its past contributions to connecting Vietnam with the UK and the wider world. She expressed her confidence that with its professionalism, credibility, and coordination with the ministry and other Vietnamese Government bodies, the FT would continue to play a key role in strengthening bilateral ties and promoting Vietnam’s image globally.

The Deputy Minister stressed that Vietnam is entering a new era - the era of the nation's rise and hoped that the FT would help spread this message to readers in the UK and the world. She also affirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the newspaper and the British Embassy in enhancing the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership.

Anantha Lakshmi, FT resident correspondent and head of its bureau in Hanoi, noted that the newspaper has closely followed Vietnam’s economic trajectory for many years. Its decision to reopen a permanent presence in the country reflects Vietnam’s growing importance in global affairs, she said.

She highlighted that amid increasing macroeconomic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, many nations are seeking to diversify their economic ties by investing in Vietnam. This makes it a particularly critical time to share the Southeast Asian country's story with the FT international readership.

One of the world’s leading newspapers specialising in finance and trade, the FT previously operated in Vietnam from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2010 to 2022. With the reopening of its Vietnam bureau, the number of foreign news agencies with a permanent presence in the country has now risen to 30.