President Võ Văn Thưởng greeted by Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK and representatives of Vietnamese students in the UK. — VNA/VNS Photo

LONDON — President Võ Văn Thưởng and his entourage arrived at Heathrow International Airport in London on May 4 afternoon (local time), beginning their visit to attend the coronation of King Charles III at the invitation of the Royal Family of the UK.

UK Ambassador to Việt Nam 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 Thưởng, 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 Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam in Europe. The two sides officially signed a Free Trade Agreement in December 2020 on the principle of inheriting the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) with necessary adjustments to ensure compliance with the framework of bilateral trade between Việt Nam 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 Việt Nam through both bilateral channels and COVAX Facility. — VNS