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Regarding the UK as a leading partner

According to VOV News, during the reception for UK Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab in Hanoi on September 30, PM Phuc welcomed the UK minister’s official visit to Vietnam at a time when both nations are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership and showed his delight at the great strides in bilateral relations in the recent past.

He applauded the outcomes of the earlier talks between the UK minister and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, especially the issuance of the “Joint Declaration on the Vietnam-UK Strategic Partnership: Forging Ahead for Another 10 years”, which defines the vision and cooperation orientations in specific areas.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab. Photo: VOV News

The UK is a big trade partner of Vietnam in Europe, he emphasized while suggesting the two countries to soon finalize negotiation towards the signing and enforcement of a bilateral free trade agreement so as to seize cooperation chances and support their post-pandemic growth recovery, Phuc told his guest.

The host leader affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to offer optimal conditions for UK investors and enterprises to do business in the country, capitalize on their advantages, and meet Vietnam’s development demand.

Vietnam is willing to continue working with the UK to intensify COVID-19 prevention and control, especially medicine and vaccine development, and facilitate all people’s access to them at a suitable cost, the government chief said.

He also praised the cooperation between the two nations at multilateral forums and proposed them keep coordination, particularly when Vietnam is serving as ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

The talks between the Vietnamese and UK officials in Hanoi on September 30 (Photo: VNA)

The UK desires to booster cooperation with Vietnam

For his part, the UK diplomat said his visit to Vietnam is part of the UK Government’s policy aimed at expanding ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Public Security News reported.

The UK treasures and desires to further bolster cooperation with Vietnam, he said, adding that it also wishes to boost closer coordination with the Southeast Asian nation in enhancing connections between the UK and the region and in dealing with urgent global issues.

He also informed PM Phuc about the measures the countries’ officials had agreed on to promote ties in economy, trade, investment, development cooperation, education-training, science-technology, clean energy, and sustainable development so that the strategic partnership will live up to its potential and the two sides’ aspirations.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) elbows bumps with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab at the headquarters of the Government Office in Ha Noi on September 30, 2020. Photo: VGP

Raab congratulated Vietnam on successfully containing the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that his nation is appreciative of its stature and role in the region and the world.

Both nations have maintained and will keep close cooperation at multilateral forums, the UN Security Council, and other international organisations, he said, expressing his hope that both sides will work together to prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) which is set to take place in the UK in 2021.

The UK supports Vietnam and ASEAN’s stance on their efforts to maintain peace, stability and security, resolve disputes via peaceful measures, and comply with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he added.

On this occasion, the UK minister conveyed PM Boris Johnson’s invitation to PM Phuc to make an official visit to the UK. The host leader also asked Raab to convey his invitation to his UK counterpart to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Calling for early signing of VN-UK trade deal to boost economic recovery in post Covid-19

As the UK is one of Viet Nam’s major trade partners in Europe, PM Phuc emphasized that the trade deal, once signed and implemented, would help both countries to boost economic recovery in post COVID-19 pandemic period, VGP News reported.

The Government chief affirmed Viet Nam is willing to continue collaboration with the UK in combating the pandemic and manufacturing vaccines against COVID-19.

He suggested the sides continue close coordination at multilateral forums, especially when Viet Nam is undertaking the dual role as ASEAN 2020 Chair and non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the tenure 2020-2021.

For his part, Raab stressed that his visit to Viet Nam is part of the UK Government’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries.

He conveyed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s invitation to Phuc to pay an official visit to the UK in the time to come.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (R) and UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab in Hanoi on September 30 (Photo: VNA)

Raab congratulated on Viet Nam’s successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and voiced support for the positions of Viet Nam and ASEAN on the need to maintain peace, stability, security and to settle disputes through peaceful means with respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in the region.

Earlier the same day, Raab had face-to-face meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, during which both sides voiced support for multilateralism and rules-based international order.

The meeting follows the pair’s phone conversation in last July when Minh called for accelerating work toward the signing of the Viet Nam-UK trade deal.

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