Promoting cooperation toward prosperous development

Dr. Phan Anh Son, Vice President - General Secretary of VUFO speaking at the event (Photo: Thu Ha).

Speaking at the Conference, Phan Anh Son, Vice President - General Secretary of VUFO, said that Vietnam and the UK officially established diplomatic relations on September 11, 1973. During the past 50 years, that relationship has been continuously consolidated and developed, especially after the two countries raised the relationship to a Strategic Partnership in September 2010, which has opened up many cooperation frameworks and mechanisms such as Strategic Dialogue, Joint Committee on Economy and Trade, Working Group on Defense...

The two countries constantly promote cooperation in important fields such as security - defense, development, education - training, science and technology, sustainable development, and people-to-people exchange, creating a solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations.

According to Phan Anh Son, the conference is a meaningful forum, an opportunity for both the UK and Vietnam sides to directly exchange information and discuss many aspects of cooperation between the two sides. come up with new and effective initiatives, ideas, and methods to further enhance mutual understanding. Especially between the young generations of the two countries, exploiting the potential and promoting bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and the UK in various fields.

A large network of Vietnamese alumni in the UK, who are currently working and holding important positions in many ministries, agencies, social organizations, and business associations, and Vietnamese intellectuals in the UK who always want to contribute to the development of the relationship between the two countries. Phan Anh Son hopes that this force will continue to be a bridge and an active factor in the implementation of people-to-people diplomacy activities in Vietnam and the UK.

Marcus Winsley, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the United Kingdom speaks at the event (Photo: Thu Ha).

Agree with Phan Anh Son, Marcus Winsley, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the United Kingdom in Vietnam said that the relationship between Vietnam and the UK reached good development. The two countries share similar views on many issues, such as strongly believing in an open economic system, being open-minded, and being willing to share experiences. There are many opportunities for the two countries to complement and support each other.

"Besides politics-diplomacy, in 2023, Vietnam and the UK celebrate good relations in education, trade, and sustainable development. We all have ambitions to prosper in many aspects, for example, economy, investment, and market development... These are all areas we should pay attention to in the next 50 years.

During COP26, Vietnam made a strong but possible commitment, which is to strive for net-zero emissions by 2050. In the future, we hope to cooperate with Vietnam in energy transformation and renewable energy, said the diplomat.

An international conference named "50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK: Achievements and prospects" (Photo: Thu Ha).

Ample chances for further development of Vietnam - UK relations

Presenting on "Vietnam - UK relations: A review of the establishment of the strategic partnership", Bui The Giang, Former Director of Western Europe - North America Department, Central Committee for External Relations, Former Deputy Head of The Vietnamese delegation to the United Nations said that the relationship between Vietnam and the UK has never been as good and favorable. The two countries have relatively close approaches to many issues and have complementary strengths. Among the seven pillars of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership, politic and diplomacy have become increasingly close, playing a leading role. Cooperation on security and defense also witnessed rapid development in speed, significantly in quality.

However, Vietnam-UK cooperation still has a lot of room for further development. Economically, Vietnam's exports to the UK market currently account for less than 1% of the UK's import demand. Vietnam's imports account for only 0.2% of UK exports to the world. The UK is currently ranked 16th among nearly 140 countries and territories with investment projects in Vietnam, although the UK is one of the top 5 countries with the largest amount of foreign investment in the world.

Besides, the need to access the UK's education system and Vietnam's demand for learning English is very high, while the UK Government's scholarships awarded to Vietnam are quite limited. More than 95% of Vietnamese who come to the UK to study are self-financed.

Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific Program and UK-Vietnam bilateral relations (Chatham House Research Institute) shared at the workshop (Photo: Thu Ha).

Talking about the UK's foreign policy in the Asia Pacific region and bilateral relations, Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific Program and UK-Vietnam bilateral relations (Chatham House) emphasizes Vietnam's role in connecting UK and ASEAN relations.

Ben Bland suggested 3 topics to enhance efficiency in the bilateral relationship between Vietnam - the UK. According to the expert, the two countries need to be frank and honest because, in the bilateral relationship, there are similarities but also differences. Frankly sharing differences will contribute to the enhancement of understanding that is the basis for effective cooperation.

Vietnam - UK relations also need long-term goals and vision. From there, develop appropriate strategies and action plans. At the same time, find common values and common points to maximize cooperation efficiency.

He said that the relationship between the two countries should not be limited to the Government, but should be broader, with the participation of social organizations, businesses, and research institutes. research, school... to make the relationship more practical.

At the conference, scholars, diplomats, and scientists also discussed ways to boost cooperation in economy, trade, and investment between Vietnam and the UK; people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in culture and society between Vietnam and the UK.

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