Besides this agreement, during their phone talks on July 13, the two diplomats also expressed their delight at the strong development of the Vietnam-U.K. strategic partnership over the past ten years.
The Vietnamese Foreign Minister suggested the two sides boost exchanges and visits while maintaining cooperation mechanisms, including the strategic dialogues at the deputy ministerial level and called for more effort towards the signing of the Vietnam-U.K. free trade agreement.
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Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh (Photo: VNA) |
During the talks, Minh spoke highly of the U.K. Government’s efforts and initiatives to strengthen international cooperation in the COVID-19 fight and confirmed that Vietnam is willing to work closely with the U.K. in the field.
He suggested the two sides continue their mutual support in citizen protection, and stressed that Vietnam facilitates the entry of foreign investors, experts, managers and laborers, including those from the U.K.
For his part, the British FM emphasized that the U.K. considers Vietnam an important partner in its foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia and that the U.K. wishes to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership in all fields and strengthen bilateral agreements with the aim of building robust bilateral ties, especially in economy and trade when the U.K. leaves the European Union (EU).
The British official congratulated Vietnam on its efforts to control COVID-19 and thanked Vietnamese functional agencies and doctors for treating British COVID-19 patients.
He confirmed that the U.K. has listed Vietnam among the countries from where travelers would be exempted from quarantine regulations.
Highly valuing Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship and its position as a non-permanent member on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), Dominic Raab affirmed that the U.K. will further cooperate with Vietnam in multilateral frameworks, the UNSC, and other international forums.
He underscored the U.K.’s support in maintaining peace, security, stability and respect for international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982).
He hoped that the ties between ASEAN and the U.K. will continue to strengthen and asked Vietnam to back the cooperation.
Highlighting the mutual support and coordination between the two countries in multilateral forums, Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh stated that as ASEAN Chair, Vietnam supports external partners, including the U.K., in enhancing partnership with ASEAN and hails contributions of all parties, including the U.K., to peace, cooperation, development, and observance of international law in the region and the world.
Translated by Song Anh