General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly depart Hà Nội on Tuesday for a three-day official visit to the UK. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm and his spouse Ngô Phương Ly, together with a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, departed Hà Nội on October 28 for a three-day official visit to the UK.

The visit is made at the invitation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Accompanying the General Secretary are Politburo members: Nguyễn Duy Ngọc, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the committee’s Inspection Commission; Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation; Nguyễn Hòa Bình, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister; General Phan Văn Giang, Minister of National Defence; and General Lương Tam Quang, Minister of Public Security.

The Party chief's entourage also includes Lê Hoài Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Trần Lưu Quang, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee; Phạm Gia Túc, member of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee’s Office; Đào Ngọc Dung, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs; Đoàn Hồng Phong, member of the Party Central Committee and Inspector General of the Government Inspectorate; Nguyễn Văn Thắng, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Finance; Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Science and Technology; Nguyễn Kim Sơn, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training; Nguyễn Thị Hồng, member of the Party Central Committee and Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; Tô Ân Xô, Assistant to the Party General Secretary and head of the Party General Secretary's Office; and Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Đỗ Minh Hùng.

Việt Nam and the UK established diplomatic relations on September 11, 1973, with the UK being among the first Western nations to do so. Over the past more than five decades, the friendship and cooperation between the two countries' peoples have continuously strengthened and developed.

The official visit by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, his spouse, and the high-ranking delegation coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Việt Nam–UK Strategic Partnership (2010-2025). It marks an important milestone, offering an opportunity for both countries to review bilateral cooperation, highlight key achievements, and outline new directions for advancing their partnership in the years ahead. — VNA/VNS