UK Ambassador: More room to develop Vietnam – UK strategic partnership
VOV.VN - UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward has described the June 28 - 30 UK visit by Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue as an ideal chance for both sides to strengthen bilateral ties in reforms and legislation in support of Vietnam’s future development.
Among the issues which will be under discussion during the trip, Ambassador Ward told Vietnam News Agency in an interview ahead of Hue’s visit that the UK can support Vietnam in implementing digitalisation and simplification of administrative procedures to improve its business climate.
Co-operation in legislation relating to the green economy which the UK has extensive experience in can be considered a prime opportunity for Vietnam, according to the diplomat.
Furthermore, promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency, including efforts such as the transition to electric vehicles, will help the country to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, he said.
He went on to say that Vietnam, which boasts an extensive coastline and plenty of wind resources, has a wealth of opportunity to further develop wind power, and commercial banks are ready to finance offshore wind energy exploitation projects when more transparent policies are introduced.
Improved legislation will hugely enable Vietnam not only to promote its green economy, reduce emissions, and improve air quality, but also to attract investment and financial sources from overseas, he stressed.
The UK Ambassador noted that the joint strategic partnership is enjoying strong development, although there remains plenty of room to further expand bilateral co-operation, especially in the fields of economics, trade, investment, education, and tourism.
Ambassador Ward revealed that during the visit to the UK the top Vietnamese legislator will meet speakers of both houses in the UK parliament and leaders of several Cabinet departments, to explore the possibility of increasing the co-operation in green growth, as well as links between the two legislatures.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue is paying a visit to the UK from June 28 to June 30 at the invitations of John McFall, speaker of the House of Lords, and Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the House of Commons.
Two-way trade between Vietnam and the UK rose by 17.2% last year to US$6.6 billion. Despite enduring global production and supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19, the initial five months of the year has witnessed the two countries reach up to US$2.6 billion in bilateral trade, equivalent to the figure recorded in the same period last year.
