Vietnam, U.K. Map out Cooperation Strategy Till 2013

Vietnam and the U.K. have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the bilateral cooperation by 2013, in which the two nations target to increase two-way trade to US$4 billion and the U.K. direct investment to US$3 billion within the next five years.

 

The MoU was reached by Vietnam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Cuong and U.K. Permanent Under-Secretary of State to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Peter Ricketts in Hanoi Jan 13. Peter Ricketts is on a visit to Vietnam from Jan 10-14. 

 

On the same day, Cuong and his U.K. counterpart co-chaired the first deputy minister-level political consultation conference, exchanging their views on the implementation of cooperation agreements and projects in the five prioritized areas of politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, development cooperation, education-training, emigration, and combating organized crime.

 

The U.K. official pledged to actively mobilize the EU to soon recognize Vietnam as the market economy and continue maintaining the flow of ODA into the country in the future.

 

During his stay in Vietnam, Ricketts worked with Deputy Minister of Police Le The Tiem to discuss avenues of cooperation in the areas of emigration and fighting organized crime.

 

On the occasion, the two sides an agreement on mutual legal assistance.

 

Deputy Minister Ricketts is visiting Ho Chi Minh City and working with the business community here before leaving for the U.K. late today. (CPV, Youth)