Vietnamese businesses in UK donate over VND2 billion to COVID-19 fight

The donation was unveiled at a ceremony in London on September 15 to mark 15 years of the VBUK.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long called on the VBUK to maintain its role as a bridge between business communities in both the UK and Vietnam.

He noted that two-way trade between Vietnam and the UK has increased 10fold from US$600-700 million in 2007 to US$6.5 billion at present, and the figure is expected to soon rise to US$10 billion thanks to the enforcement of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

The Ambassador affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy stays ready to support the businesses in overcoming difficulties and obstacles in their operations in the host country as well as in investment activities in the homeland.

For his part, Phuong Hoang, Chairman of the VBUK for the 2021-2026 term, said that the new Executive Board will expand connections between the Vietnamese business communities in the UK, Vietnam and other countries to promote trade between these countries.

He said that the enforcement of the UKVFTA with its preferential tariffs has opened up a wealth of opportunities for Vietnamese businesses in the two countries to promote bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

Established in 2006, the VBUK is currently a member of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese and the Vietnam Business Association in Europe.