General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm (left) shakes hands with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The official visit to the UK by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Tô Lâm holds profound significance not only for advancing Việt Nam’s ties with a major European and global partner but also for creating new momentum for the country’s next stage of development, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung has said.

In an interview with the press following the visit, the minister described it as one of Việt Nam’s most important diplomatic activities in 2025, reaffirming the stature of the Việt Nam–UK relationship in each nation’s foreign policy, particularly amid a complex and fast-changing global landscape.

During the trip, General Secretary Lam and the Vietnamese delegation engaged in more than 20 major activities, including the talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; meetings with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, representatives of the British Royal Family, Parliament, and major political parties. The Vietnamese leader also delivered a policy speech at the University of Oxford, met with representatives of leading UK businesses and academics, the Vietnamese community and the Vietnamese Embassy's staff.

According to the diplomat, the visit was a major success, producing tangible and substantive results. The most notable outcome was the upgrade of the Việt Nam - UK relationship a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — the highest level in Việt Nam’s diplomatic hierarchy.

In their joint declaration, the two sides identified six key pillars of cooperation: political, diplomatic, defence and security ties; economic, trade, investment and financial collaboration; science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and healthcare; environmental protection, energy transition and green growth; education, culture, sports, tourism and social equality; and coordination on regional and international issues.

Within the framework of the visit, agencies, organisations and businesses of both sides agreed and signed many important cooperation agreements with many substantive and specific contents in new fields which are significant to the development of the two countries. With the UK being a leading global financial and technological hub, the upgraded framework opens broad opportunities for deeper collaboration. Several Vietnamese firms and research institutes have already partnered with British universities and organisations, particularly in high-tech industries and training.

British leaders and institutions expressed deep admiration for Việt Nam’s impressive achievements and its growing regional and global role. General Secretary Lam’s keynote address at Oxford University attracted strong interest from policymakers and scholars, considering it an important contribution to clarifying Việt Nam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, thereby, the UK and the international community better understood Việt Nam’s 40-year đổi mới (renewal) journey as well as the country’s foreign policy.

British partners showed readiness to quickly implement commitments in the joint declaration, including enhanced cooperation and knowledge-sharing in finance, technology, healthcare, green energy, and disaster risk reduction. Both sides agreed to establish new dialogue mechanisms to improve the business environment and to effectively implement the UK–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The visit also helped reinforce Việt Nam’s standing in Europe and at multilateral forums, while contributing to stronger ASEAN–Europe cooperation. It further consolidated the role of the CPV and the nation’s position in international diplomacy, creating a foundation for deeper relations with other partners.

The diplomat emphasised that the trip also strengthened people-to-people ties between Việt Nam and the UK and encouraged the Việt Namese community in the UK to continue contributing to the home country's development. The growing success of the Việt Namese community in the UK provides a valuable bridge for future cooperation, he noted.

By establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK — a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the world’s sixth largest economy, and a leading centre for finance, trade, technology, and education — Việt Nam has continued to actively and proactively implement its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development and diversification and multilateralisation of international relations, he stated.

The visit carried a consistent message about Việt Nam's foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations and promoting harmonious relations with partners in other regions. The exchanges and agreements between the UK and Việt Nam also demonstrated their respect for the leadership of the CPV and the achievements that Việt Nam has obtained in the development and renewal process over the past nearly 40 years.

In an increasingly complex world, Việt Nam’s establishment of Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council, bringing the total number of such partnerships to 14, has helped strengthen Việt Nam’s diplomatic complexion and enhance the CPV's position, Trung stressed.

Sharing major orientations for the coming period to deploy the key outcomes of the Party chief's visit, Trung stated that Việt Nam and the UK will work together to effectively implement the visit’s results, particularly the Joint Declaration on upgrading the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the development of a Joint Action Plan to concretise the declaration. At the same time, the two nations will continue effectively carry out the previously agreed deals.

The focus will be placed on strengthening political trust through the exchange of high-level and all-level delegations, commensurate with the current status of the bilateral relations. Efforts will also be made to effectively implement existing cooperation mechanisms while exploring new frameworks that match the two countries’ capacities and practical needs.

Priority will be given to promoting initiatives that leverage the UK’s expertise in international financial centre development, innovation, telecommunications, sustainable energy transition, advanced technologies, and biomedical sciences, in line with Việt Nam’s priorities in digital transformation, green growth, human resource development, and governance innovation.

Both sides aim to boost connectivity and coordination in international and regional forums, including the UN and ASEAN, promote trade based on rules and equality, and enhance cooperation in science, technology, and financial system resilience, contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the regions and the world.

Việt Nam will also take measures to step up cultural exchange and well carry out affairs related to the Vietnamese community in the UK, thereby strengthening friendship, mutual understanding, and solid foundation for deeper and more sustainable Việt Nam–UK cooperation, the minister added. — VNA/VNS