President Trần Đại Quang (r) receives outgoing UK Ambassador Giles Lever on June 7. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sáng

HÀ NỘI — President Trần Đại Quang has called on Việt Nam and the UK to work together – to fully tap their potential for cooperation in order to boost the bilateral strategic partnership in a more comprehensive, pragmatic and effective fashion. 

At a reception for outgoing UK Ambassador Giles Lever on June 7, the President said Việt Nam attaches importance to promoting the strategic partnership with the UK, one of the country’s priority European partners. 
He said since the two countries established diplomatic ties 45 years ago, and especially after the formation of the strategic partnership in 2010, their relationship has developed in all fields. 
The two countries should increase cultural and sport exchange programmes to reinforce their friendship and mutual understanding, he said. 
The President suggested that both sides maintain and enhance the exchange of high-ranking delegations to create political trust, step up economic, trade and investment links, expand collaboration in national defence-security, crime combat and peacekeeping operations, and maintain their affiliation in culture, health care, sports and education-training. 
The leader also urged the two countries to carry forward mutual consultation and support mechanisms at multilateral forums and within the framework of the United Nations. 
He thanked the UK for backing the stance of Việt Nam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on handling issues regarding the East Sea in order to ensure peace, security, and aviation and navigation safety and freedom in the waters. 
For his part, Giles Lever highlighted remarkable progresses in deepening the strategic partnership, emphasising that cooperation in economy and trade between the UK and Việt Nam has developed at the fastest pace as compared with other partners of the UK in the Asia-Pacific region. 
He reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to maintaining collaboration with partners in Asia-Pacific as the country withdraws from the European Union (EU). The UK will continue renewing economic cooperation with Việt Nam in many areas such as business climate improvement and green city building, he said. 
The diplomat informed his host that on the occasions of the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties and 25 years of operation of the British Council in Việt Nam, the UK will organise a range of activities in Hà Nội and HCM City to celebrate such events. 
Lever confirmed the UK’s strong support for the early signing and ratification of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement and the Việt Nam-UK Bilateral Free Trade Agreement. 
The UK will increase investments in Việt Nam in the areas that match the two countries’ potential, while collaborating with Việt Nam to ensure the respect of international law and ensure peace, security and navigation and aviation safety and freedom in the East Sea, he said. 

Meeting with outgoing Dutch Ambassador to Việt Nam Nienke Trooster on the same day, President Quang praised the ambassador’s positive contributions to the bilateral friendship and multifaceted cooperation and urged her to contribute further to the relationship in the future.
The President said the bilateral relations are growing fruitfully in all field and highlighted the signing of agreements to form a strategic partnership in climate change response and water resource management in 2010, and in agriculture and food security in 2014 as an effective cooperation model, thus promoting the Netherlands’ images and contributing to Việt Nam’s sustainable development.
The political trust between Việt Nam and the Netherlands has been strengthened, while the two nations have become an important economic, trade and investment partner of each other, and seen progress in educational and cultural cooperation, he said.
President Quang said, built up on the achievements, Việt Nam and the Netherlands still hold great potential to expand collaboration so as to push relations to new heights.
Having lauded the Netherlands’ position and role in the EU, the President thanked the Dutch Government’s support for the early ratification of the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UVFTA).
For her part, Trooster said the Dutch Government pays heed to the strategic partnership with Việt Nam in water resource management, climate change adaptation, agriculture and food security, stressing that these areas are important spheres on the global scale. — VNS 

— VNS