At the ceremony to announce the Vietnam-UK friendship year 2023. VNS/VNS

LONDON — A ceremony was held at the headquarters of the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on Wednesday to announce the Việt Nam-UK Friendship Year 2023 for the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties.

The event was attended by 150 guests, including parliamentarians, government officials and representatives from departments, localities, organisations and businesses of the UK, and Vietnamese agencies, organisations, associations and enterprises in the host country.  

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, who co-chaired the function together with Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyễn Hoàng Long, stressed that the bilateral relationship is growing well, and an array of celebration activities will be held by the two embassies in London and Hanoi this year.

Reviewing relations developments over the past 50 years, she said the UK has become a strategic partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with support from Việt Nam.

Việt Nam is working hard to become one of the 30 biggest economies in the world, she said, noting that the UK would like to accompany the country on the journey and stands ready and wishes to be Việt Nam’s partner in the green transition.

The UK is expected to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership (CPTPP) this year, contributing to enhancing its relations with Việt Nam, Trevelyan continued.

The official expressed her belief in the tightened relationship between the British and Vietnamese peoples.

In a pre-recorded speech, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn emphasised that the bilateral ties have been consolidated and enhanced across spheres, from politics to economy, national defence and security and education, and expanded to science-technology, digital transformation, climate change response, energy transition, green growth and epidemic prevention and control.

Việt Nam attaches importance to its relations with the UK, an important European partner. It stays resolved to work with the country to enhance the bilateral strategic partnership and cope with global peace, cooperation and development challenges.

Long briefed the participants on celebrating the 50th anniversary with more than 50 events in trade, investment, education-training, culture and tourism in London and more than ten localities across the UK.

Graham Stuart, Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, pointed to the substantial potential for the two countries to cooperate in renewable energy, especially wind power.

Mark Garnier, Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Việt Nam, said big strides had been made in trade and investment ties between the two countries over the past time, and there is ample room for collaboration.

As of November 2022, the UK was one of the 15 biggest foreign investors in Việt Nam, with 500 projects worth US$4.19 billion, up 5.3 per cent year-on-year.

The two-way trade reached $6.83 billion last year, a rise of 3.4 per cent from 2021, with Việt Nam’s exports to the UK valued at $6.06 billion, up 5.2 per cent year-on-year. VNS