A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote relations between Vietnamese localities with UK partners, towards strengthening trade and investment cooperation between the two countries was signed in London on June 24.

At the signing ceremony (Source: VNA)

The signatories were representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK Asia House - the independent organization advising governments, public academies and private organizations to promote political, economic and trade ties between Europe and Asia. 

The signing was witnessed by Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK and Northern Ireland Tran Ngoc An, and representatives from Yen Bai, Lang Son and Dak Lak provinces , and a number of Vietnamese enterprises. 

The two sides agreed to cooperate in organising events, roundtable conferences, and forums on economic and business development of the two countries, helping UK and Vietnamese enterprises to seek ways for expanding business and investment cooperation in both nations.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Asia House CEO Michael Lawrence said the organisation’s top priority is to enhance economic cooperation with Asia, expressing his hope that Vietnam, as the Chairman of ASEAN in 2020, will work closely with Asia House to promote cooperation between the UK and ASEAN countries.

Vietnam, with an annual average economic growth of over 6 percent in the past few years, has attracted increasing attention from UK firms, he noted. 

The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy and the British University Vietnam (BUV) signed a MoU on coordination to promote scholarships funded by the BUV for Vietnamese students in the UK to pursue financial and banking sectors at the BUV in the 2019-2020 academic year.