Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu and British Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling co-chair the eighth Viet Nam-UK strategic dialogue, Ha Noi, March 28, 2022 - Photo: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both sides discussed cooperation and specific measures to develop the Viet Nam-UK strategic partnership in a substantive and effective manner, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, climate change response and sustainable development, education-training, science-technology, security-defense, and people-to-people exchange.

They vowed to work closely together to organize activities on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral relations in 2023, including trade, investment and tourism promotion activities, and cultural and people-to-people exchange events.

Milling affirmed that the UK is willing to join hand with Viet Nam in implementing its commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), especially in fields of emission mitigation and energy transformation.

The British diplomat underscored that the UK considers Viet Nam an important partner in the region in the context where the European country is adjusting its policy towards stronger partnership with the Indo-Pacific region.

She expressed thanks to Viet Nam for supporting the UK to become a full dialogue partner of ASEAN as well as during negotiations for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

For his part, the Vietnamese Deputy FM thanked the UK Government for providing COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies for Viet Nam, suggesting the UK continue supporting Viet Nam in developing pharmaceutical industry and transferring COVID-19 vaccine production technology.

Regarding the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), both countries pledged to continue to work closely to make full use of opportunities generated from the UKVFTA, thus making a breakthrough in trade and investment partnership and expanding cooperation in digital economy, energy transformation, green finance, infrastructure development, and finance-banking.

They agreed to continue to increase defense delegation exchanges and enhance capacity for Vietnamese officers joining UN peacekeeping operations.

The two countries agreed to continue collaborating closely at multilateral forums and regional cooperation mechanisms.

Both sides also discussed a number of international and regional issues of shared concern, underlining the significance of ensuring aviation and maritime freedom, security and peace in the East Sea.