On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK, the working trip of the Vietnam-UK Friendship Association (VUFA) to the UK aims to contribute to promoting friendship and people-to-people diplomatic relations between the two countries, VNA reported Monday.

During the visit, the delegation presented the “For Peace and Friendship Among Nations” insignias to Ben Chapman, Warwick Morris and Paul Smith, the co-founders of the Vietnam-UK Network (VUKN), to honour their outstanding contributions to the relations between the two countries.

At the medal presentation ceremony. Photo: VUKN

The medal, the highest award of the Presidium of VUFO, was presented by VUFA First Vice Chair Nguyen Van Phuc, at VUKN’s annual pre-Christmas reception in London, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-UK relations and 10th anniversary of the Network.

According to VUKN, its founders were honoured not only for their outstanding contributions to the culture, politics, economy, and society of Vietnam over the decade through the establishment and development of the Network, but also for their contributions and achievements in a number of other important roles which have contributed positively to the development of the Vietnam-UK relations.

Founding Chair of VUKN, Ben Chapman, was a former Member of Parliament while former Chair Warwick Morris was former British Ambassador to Vietnam and former Vice Chair Paul Smith was founder of software group Nash Tech with years of business experience in Vietnam.

The Network said the presentation of this commemorative medal affirmed Vietnam's high appreciation of the contributions of British individuals and organisations to the relations between the two countries and peoples.

At the event, VUKN and VUFA also signed a new five-year Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), which acknowledges the two organizations’ long-standing and fruitful on-going relationship while marking a new era of partnership between them.

The partnership is expected to enhance the relations between British and Vietnamese peoples in various fields of mutual interest, from business, science and technology, environment to culture and welfare.

The Vietnam-UK Friendship Association (VUFA) and Vietnam-UK Network (VUKN) sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for 2023-2028 period. Photo: VUKN

The VUFA delegation coordinated with a delegation of the Academy of Journalism and Communication under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics to hold a working session with leaders of SOAS University, one of the leading research centers for Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

They also paid for a working trip to Karl Marx Library, home to more than 60,000 books and newspapers on Marxism, scientific socialism, and international workers' movements.

Visiting on the occasion of the library's 90th anniversary, the group was warmly welcomed by Alex Gordon, Head of the Karl Marx Library and Chairman of the British National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, who introduced and guided the group to visit the galleries of artifacts and precious documents.

On the occasion, the delegation presented to the library an English version of the book "Some Theoretical and Practical Issues on socialism and the Path to socialism in Vietnam" by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and a book on the world people’s affection for President Ho Chi Minh compiled by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the 110th year since the Vietnamese President set foot on the UK during his journey to seek ways to liberate the nation (1913-2023).

At the meeting at the Vietnamese Embassy.

The delegation held meetings with the Vietnamese Embassy and representatives of Vietnamese organizations and associations in the UK in Vietnamese community in the UK including the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK), the Vietnamese Intellectual Society in the UK and Northern Ireland (VIS), the Vietnamese Business Association in the UK (VBUK) and the Vietnamese Student Association in the UK (SVUK).

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