British Ambassador Iain Frew visits and meet with Chairman of Nam Định People's Committee, Phạm Đình Nghị, and representatives of provincial departments. – Photo Courtesy of British Embassy

HCM CITY – UK Government has accelerated trade promotion activities and co-operation with Vietnamese provinces in various aspects including minimising the impact of climate change, education, energy transition, trade, and investment in order to boost the effectiveness of the UKVFTA and CPTPP.

Earlier this week, British Ambassador Iain Frew visited and met with the Chairman of Nam Định Province People's Committee, Phạm Đình Nghị, and representatives of provincial departments.

Speaking at the meeting, ambassador affirmed the strong diplomatic relationship between the two governments and hoped that Nam Định Province and partners of the United Kingdom will strengthen comprehensive co-operation in many fields; including education, climate change response, green energy conversion, and clean energy.

The ambassador also highlighted that the UK-Việt Nam trade relationship is already valued at £6.4 billion (US$7.7 billion) and is underpinned by the UKVFTA and CPTPP. The UK has officially been a member of CPTPP since 15 December this year.

He wants to see this bilateral trade relationship continue to grow across a range of key sectors including healthcare, financial and professional services, and education.

Speaking at the meeting, Nghị expressed his desire to strengthen and deepen the co-operation with UK partners in the future. 

In the coming time, Nam Định will continue to mobilise and effectively utilise all resources, focusing on synchronous investment in transport infrastructure, roads, waterways and airports and expanding industrial zones, prioritising environmental protection to ensure sustainable development. 

The province hopes to receive co-operation and support from the United Kingdom in important areas such as education and training, clean energy, waste treatment, investment, trade, biodiversity conservation, and climate change response. 

At the same time, both sides committed to creating the most favourable conditions for projects between the two sides to be implemented effectively, bringing practical benefits, and contributing to promoting the increasingly strong diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and the UK.

The ambassador also mentioned the potential of eco-tourism, fostering leadership, promoting co-management strategies involving local communities and Government agencies, and raising awareness of marine conservation in Nam Định. 

Earlierly, in HCM City the British Embassy introduced British seafood at the GREAT seafood showcase.

At the event, prominent importers, restaurateurs, retailers and more came together to celebrate the diversity of British seafood and taste for themselves the quality of GREAT British products. 

Guests were treated to Chef Bao Bab’s expert take on staple British seafoods including lobster, mackerel, whelk and herring, all of which enjoy favourable tariff conditions under the UK – Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement and are set for even greater trade facilitation as the UK joined the CPTPP trading bloc.

Situated between the warm Atlantic Ocean and cool North Sea, the British Isles are uniquely placed to deliver some of the world's highest quality and most diverse seafood, from Scottish Smoked Salmon, to Lobsters, Oysters, Mackerel and many more. – VNS