British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew and Việt Nam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng listen to the two countries' national anthems playing at the UK King's Birthday Party held in Hà Nội. — Photo courtesy of the UK Embassy

HÀ NỘI — The British Embassy in Việt Nam on Thursday evening hosted the celebration for 76th birthday of King Charles III at Hà Nội Opera House with the attendance of more 500 Vietnamese and international guests.

At the event, British Ambassador to Việt Nam Iain Frew highlighted the King’s contribution to sustainable development. This was also the theme of the night's ceremony, honouring the King's solid initiatives that have brought practical effects over many decades.

This is the first time the embassy has held a King’s Birthday in Việt Nam, following the Coronation of King Charles III last year, he said.

"In 2013 as Prince of Wales, the King warmly welcomed the former General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, whose passing we marked earlier this year, to the UK. In 2021, his meeting with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at the COP26 summit in Glasgow celebrated Việt Nam's historic Net Zero climate commitment," the ambassador said.

"The relationship between the United Kingdom and Việt Nam continues to deepen and strengthen under our new king and a new UK government. Last year we celebrated fifty years of diplomatic relations. Fifty years of friendship, progress and cooperation. And next year will mark 15 years of our Strategic Partnership," he noted, adding that the Việt Nam-UK Free Trade Agreement, and as of next month the UK’s entry to the CPTPP agreement with Việt Nam’s strong support, underpins a growing trade relationship of over £6bn.

The UK is supporting the next stages of Việt Nam's development path to high-income status, with initiatives on healthcare innovation and supporting HCM City’s development as an International Financial Centre, he stressed.

The diplomat also reiterated the commitment to catalyse energy transition in Việt Nam via its joint efforts with Việt Nam to deliver the $15.5bn Just Energy Transition Partnership.

In her remarks, Việt Nam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng as the guest of honour, said Việt Nam greatly appreciates King Charles III's consistent interest in Việt Nam's development and his active support for the Việt Nam - UK strategic partnership.

Photos and videos of King Charles III's life screened at the event. — Photo courtesy of the UK Embassy

In his meetings with senior Vietnamese leaders, he has underscored, on multiple occasions, his desire to further expand cooperation between the two sides, especially in the protection of the environment and biodiversity and the development of a green, circular, and low-emission economy. she noted.

"It is truly heartening that the bond of friendship and cooperation between Việt Nam and the UK is currently at its finest. The United Kingdom, given its important global role and implementation of various strategies that prioritize collaboration with Asia, is among Việt Nam’s premier partners in Europe," the Vietnamese official said.

"The two sides are maintaining engagement at various levels, making good use of political-diplomatic, economic-trade, and defense-security cooperation mechanisms. People-to-people exchanges, including educational cooperation, is a highlight, with more than 10,000 Vietnamese students studying and conducting research in the UK. Thousands of alumni, including myself, have been contributing, and will continue to contribute wholeheartedly to the cooperation and friendship between the two countries," Hằng noted.

"I am confident that with the shared vision, common goals and potential of both sides, the Việt Nam - UK strategic partnership will continue to grow positively and reach new heights," Hằng said. — VNS