General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm (right) meets with leader of the Conservative Party of the UK Kemi Badenoch in London on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo

LONDON — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm met with leader of the Conservative Party of the UK Kemi Badenoch in London on Thursday, as part of his official visit to the country.

General Secretary Lâm spoke highly of the Conservative Party leader’s contributions to advancing trade and investment cooperation between the two countries when she served as Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

He affirmed that the CPV always attaches importance to fostering friendship and cooperation with political parties around the world, including the Conservative Party, in order to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen the political foundation for broader cooperation across spheres.

The Vietnamese leader called on the Conservative Party to continue supporting initiatives by the British Parliament and Government to promote and facilitate bilateral cooperation, including expanding business-to-business connections and boosting investment in finance-banking, green transition, clean energy, innovation, and education-training.

He emphasised the role of both Parties in sharing information and organising cultural and people-to-people exchanges to further strengthen solidarity and mutual understanding between the two peoples. The leader also called for continued support for the Vietnamese community in the UK and the British community in Việt Nam.

On this occasion, General Secretary Lâm invited the Conservative Party leader to pay an official visit to Việt Nam as soon as possible.

For her part, the Conservative Party leader described General Secretary Lâm’s visit as an important milestone in strengthening the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Congratulating Việt Nam on its socio-economic achievements in recent years under the leadership of the CPV and General Secretary Lâm, Badenoch welcomed the adoption of the joint declaration on elevating Việt Nam–UK relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

She emphasised that the Conservative Party values and supports the promotion of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, as well as people-to-people ties.

The Conservative Party will work to further advance relations with Việt Nam at the Parliament, encourage the British Government to maintain an active cooperation policy with Việt Nam, and assist the country in strengthening economic governance, digital transformation, and high-quality human resources training.

The two leaders expressed their delight that Việt Nam and the UK share many common views on international and regional issues of mutual concern, and have maintained close coordination and mutual support at regional and international forums.

They agreed to step up cooperation between the two Parties through increased exchanges and policy experience sharing, contributing to the development of the traditional friendship and the Việt Nam–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the long-term benefit of their peoples, as well as for peace, security, and sustainable development in the region and the world. — VNA/VNS