UK Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew said this is a very significant moment as the UK has not had a coronation in the past seven decades. Therefore, it is of great importance that President Thuong, along with other leaders from around the world, comes to the UK to witness this meaningful event. 

During his stay, the Vietnamese President is scheduled to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla, leaders of the British government, parliament, and several Cabinet ministers, thereby further tightening ties between Vietnam and the UK Government and monarchy as well as contributing to enhancing political trust and relations between the two countries.

The Vietnamese State leader is also due to meet representatives of leading economic corporations and educational institutions, and friendship organisations that have made significant contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

The UK is the third largest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe. The two sides officially signed a Free Trade Agreement in December 2020 on the principle of inheriting the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) with necessary adjustments to ensure compliance with the framework of bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UK.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK made significant contributions to COVAX Facility with the vaccine developed jointly by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. The UK donated millions of doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam through both bilateral channels and COVAX Facility.

President meets Vietnamese expatriates in UK

State President Vo Van Thuong met with representatives of the Vietnamese expat community in the UK on May 4, upon his arrival in London in a trip to attend the coronation of King Charles III at the invitation of the Royal Family of the UK. 

Expressing his delight at the strong growth of the group and their associations in the host nation, Thuong said their operations have helped boost the role and position of Vietnamese people in the UK and make effective contributions to Vietnam’s development and the nurturing of the Vietnam-UK friendship. He also lauded the communities’ activities toward the home country, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and for charity programmes.

The Vietnamese Party and State consider the Vietnamese expatriate community an indispensable part, the leader stated, saying he hopes the group will integrate well into the host nation, overcome difficulties, and obtain further successes.

Highlighting Vietnam’s consistent foreign diplomatic policy of independence, self-reliance and openness and the significance of the Vietnam-UK relations, the President said the sides are stepping up cooperation in all fields toward an upgrade of their ties in the time to come.

The UK has many areas of strength and potential for the promotion of the bilateral collaboration such as industry, education, finance, currency, and pharmaceuticals, Thuong noted.

He affirmed his current visit aims to consolidate and reinforce the nations’ ties, political trust, and cooperation across all sectors.

At the gathering, Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long said there are approximately 100,000 Vietnamese living, studying, and working across the UK, mostly in the capital.

He unveiled that the embassy and overseas Vietnamese associations are implementing a series of plans and programmes to introduce Vietnam in London and several other major cities in the UK in marking the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations this year.

Source: VNA