President Thuong meets with King Charles III in UK

The president congratulated King Charles III and Queen Camilla after attending the coronation in London, and expressed his belief in the U.K.’s prosperous development.

He said Vietnam highly values its strategic partnership with the U.K. and hopes that the king and the U.K. royal family will continue to support deep and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong meets with King Charles III in London, May 6, 2023. Photo by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

King Charles III said he appreciates the attention that he and the royal family have received from the Vietnamese leader, and pledged to support Vietnam’s development, innovation and its strategic partnership with the U.K., especially in dealing with climate change.

PM Rishi Sunak said Vietnam and the U.K.’s cooperation has huge potentials, and that the U.K. always wants to enhance its connection with Vietnam.

He also thanked Vietnam for its support in the U.K.’s negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

President Thuong also met his counterparts from Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand and the Philippines during his U.K. visit from May 4-6.

King Charles III was anointed and crowned in Westminster Abbey on Saturday in Britain’s biggest ceremonial event for seven decades, in front of a congregation of about 100 world leaders and a television audience of millions.

Ambassador to the U.K. Nguyen Hoang Long said this is the second visit to the U.K. by a Vietnamese president in nearly two decades, and it takes place in the context that the bilateral relationship is at its best ever.

2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.K. and Vietnam.

As of April 2023, the U.K. was among the top 15 foreign investors in Vietnam, with 519 projects worth a total registered capital of $4.2 billion, up 5.3% compared to 2021.

Two-way trade turnover last year reached $6.83 billion, up 3.4%year-on-year. The total export value of Vietnamese goods shipped the U.K. in 2022 reached $6.06 billion, up 5.2% year-on-year.

Education is an important area of cooperation between the two countries. About 13,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the U.K.