Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Đỗ Minh Hùng. VNA/VNS Photo

LONDON — The official visit to the UK from October 28 to 30 by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Tô Lâm, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will lift comprehensive cooperation between the two countries to new heights, helping Việt Nam achieve its development goals in the new era and raise its international reputation and standing, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Đỗ Minh Hùng.

This is the first visit by a Vietnamese Party General Secretary to the UK in 12 years, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. It also comes at a time when both nations are actively promoting multifaceted cooperation within the framework of a highly successful Strategic Partnership in recent years.

The trip holds great significance, offering an opportunity to exchange views and reach consensus on directions to further strengthen and elevate bilateral relations in the coming period. This will enhance political trust and improve the effectiveness of cooperation in traditional areas, such as trade and investment, education and training and science and technology, while helping expand ties into new fields where the UK has strengths and which align with Việt Nam’s development needs, including finance, high technology, strategic infrastructure, green energy and sustainable development, Hùng said.

During the visit, Lâm is expected to hold talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and meet with leaders of the UK Parliament to discuss and agree on measures to further strengthen the Strategic Partnership. He will also deliver a keynote speech at a high-level economic conference with major British businesses to enhance cooperation in the fields of finance, banking, energy, science and technology and green development.

At the University of Oxford, one of the UK's leading research and training centres, the General Secretary is expected to give an important policy speech on a vision for the Việt Nam-UK relationship framework and Việt Nam’s innovation efforts, along with its development direction in the new era of the nation’s rise.

The Party chief will also meet with representatives of the Vietnamese community in the European country, the ambassador said.

Both sides are expected to sign and approve several important cooperation documents in such areas as politics and diplomacy, economy and trade, science and technology, the green transition and sustainable development. Numerous collaboration agreements between universities and businesses will also be signed, opening up significant opportunities in education, research, finance, banking and healthcare, areas in which the UK excels and that align with Việt Nam's development priorities.

According to the diplomat, the Việt Nam-UK Strategic Partnership is currently in an extremely positive phase of development, with a lot of notable achievements in bilateral cooperation, as well as effective collaboration at multilateral forums and international organisations.

Two-way trade hit a record high of US$8.4 billion in 2024, a year-on-year rise of 18 per cent. The two countries are striving to raise this number to $10 billion in the next few years. The UK is currently Việt Nam's third-largest trading partner in Europe, while the latter is the UK’s biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

As of 2024, the UK had invested in 587 projects in Việt Nam, with a total registered capital of nearly $4.46 billion, mainly in the fields of finance and banking, information technology, manufacturing, renewable energy and services, including education, healthcare, transport and real estate.

Educational cooperation has been a bright spot in the Việt Nam-UK Strategic Partnership, laying a solid foundation for developing a highly skilled workforce to meet the challenges and requirements of the global era of technology and innovation. Currently, around 15,000 Vietnamese students are learning at universities, colleges and schools across the UK.

To further promote cooperation in education and training, the ambassador proposed both sides expand academic exchange programmes, develop interdisciplinary research projects and organise specialised seminars to share knowledge and practical experiences.

Additionally, enhancing the training of high-quality workers through joint training programmes and student and expert exchanges between universities and educational organisations will be crucial. — VNA/VNS