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Việt Nam and the UK are increasing their imports of each other’s poultry products, as well as cooperation in the field of veterinary. — VNA/VNS Photo

​HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and the UK are set to increase their co-operation in veterinary, as well as the trading of meat products in the framework of the UK – Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

Staff from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss met with the Department of Animal Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on September 27 and 28.

The UK and Việt Nam have been working together for many years on solutions for livestock and poultry diseases prevention, especially disease diagnosis and testing.

According to Phùng Đức Tiến, deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, the UK has assisted Việt Nam in building laboratories and provided expertise in antimicrobial resistance.

The ministry has asked the UK to continue offering technical and expertise support to Việt Nam on animal husbandry and care, and hope Việt Nam can learn more about the UK’s mega farms models and high-tech application in production.

Christine Middlemiss commended Việt Nam's high quality workforce in the field of veterinary services, as well as the country’s achievements in keeping animal diseases under control, and veterinary research.

She also commended the role of One Health Poultry Hub Vietnam in preventing bird flu and for its solutions on antimicrobial resistance.

The two countries have agreed on comprehensive co-operation in the field of veterinary services and sharing information on disease management.

They will work together to build regulations for laboratory biosecurity management, and provide assistance on training veterinary staff in areas such as veterinary epidemiology, animal disease diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance.

They will also increase co-operation in researching and producing vaccines for animals.

​Additionally, the two countries are opening their markets to import pork and poultry meat products from one another. Việt Nam is completing procedures so that the UK’s pork and poultry can enter its market, while the UK is working on approving the import of Vietnamese chicken products.

Phùng Đức Tiến said that trade revenue between the two countries will be very high this year, especially in agriculture, and the UK market is among the top priorities of Việt Nam.

UKVFTA, which officially came into effect in May 2021, has been boosting co-operation in the field of agriculture between the two countries.

The UK is Việt Nam's third-largest trading partner in Europe. — VNS