President Võ Văn Thưởng (centre) meets overseas Vietnamese in the UK on May 4. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

LONDON — State President Võ Văn Thưởng met with representatives of the Vietnamese expat community in the UK on May 4 (local time), upon his arrival in London in a trip to attend the coronation of King Charles III at the invitation of the Royal Family of the UK. 

Expressing his delight at the strong growth of the group and their associations in the host nation, Thưởng said their operations have helped boost the role and position of Vietnamese people in the UK and make effective contributions to Việt Nam's development and the nurturing of the Việt Nam-UK friendship. He also lauded the communities’ activities toward the home country, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and for charity programmes.

The Vietnamese Party and State consider the Vietnamese expatriate community an indispensable part, the leader stated, saying he hopes the group will integrate well into the host nation, overcome difficulties, and obtain further successes.

Highlighting Việt Nam's consistent foreign diplomatic policy of independence, self-reliance and openness and the significance of the Việt Nam-UK relations, the President said the sides are stepping up cooperation in all fields toward an upgrade of their ties in the time to come.

The UK has many areas of strength and potential for the promotion of the bilateral collaboration such as industry, education, finance, currency, and pharmaceuticals, Thưởng noted.

He affirmed his current visit aims to consolidate and reinforce the nations’ ties, political trust, and cooperation across all sectors.

At the gathering, Ambassador Nguyễn Hoàng Long said there are approximately 100,000 Vietnamese living, studying, and working across the UK, mostly in the capital.

He unveiled that the embassy and overseas Vietnamese associations are implementing a series of plans and programmes to introduce Việt Nam in London and several other major cities in the UK in marking the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations this year. — VNS