Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne and his Vietnamese counterpart, vice minister Bui Thanh Son met in London on October 26 to launch the UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue.
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Deputy FM Bui Thanh Sơn (L) and and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State Jeremy Browne, London, October 26
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Speaking at the dialogue, Jeremy Browne said that when he visited Vietnam earlier this year, he was struck by its energy, drive and rapid development.
“This is a fast-growing economy and one that is expected to grow by more than seven per cent a year by 2015. I want this same energy to be brought to the UK-Vietnam relationship, so that it can develop and thrive in the years to come,” Browne said.
“Vietnam is an important partner for the UK on commercial issues and, increasingly, on global and regional issues. This is what the meeting today is focusing on and I hope that through our discussions we will find more ways of working together and more opportunities for both of our countries,” he added.
This is the first time a strategic dialogue has been held between the two countries, and marks a new commitment to strengthen bilateral relationships following the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in September 2010.
Other aspects of strengthened bilateral relations under the strategic partnership include a MoU signed on October 25 between the UK’s Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV).
The strategic dialogue comes at a time when the UK and Vietnam are already working closely on a range of long-term issues including climate change, development and education.
The prospect of investing in Vietnam is also becoming more widespread amongst UK businesses, with a recent survey by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) showing that Vietnam is the second most popular investment destination, after China, in terms of emerging markets.