UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond intends to discuss how 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.

The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s press release on April 11 said the visit offers a good chance for the UK to increase collaboration on trade and investment, education, science and innovation with Vietnam, a country that has shown remarkable achievement as one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.

The Foreign Secretary said the UK’s relationship with Vietnam reaches across 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 sectors such as infrastructure, advanced engineering, healthcare, energy, and financial services, he said.

According to Hammond, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), in particular, is expected to bring huge opportunities for the two countries to enhance cooperation in trade and investment.

He noted that the UK is actively supporting Vietnam to implement 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 sign an agreement to establish strategic partnership with Vietnam.

The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi on April 12 where he will meet Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh. Apart from the enhancement of Vietnam-UK cooperation, they are to discuss how to work together to address joint global challenges such as climate change and illegal wildlife trade.

He will later travel to Ho Chi Minh City to meet with British businesses operating in Vietnam.

VNA