The UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue, the week before the fifth meeting in Hanoi of the UK-Vietnam Joint Economic and Trade Committee, was hoped to further develop and deepen economic and commercial ties.
FCO Minister of State Jeremy Browne and MOFA Vice Minister Bui Thanh Son, accompanied by senior officials from the UK Ministry of Defence and the Home Office and the Vietnamese Ministries of National Defence and Public Security, conducted the inaugural Vietnam-UK Strategic Dialogue meeting in London on 26 October 2011. This realised the commitment made by the two governments in the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in September 2010. The Strategic Dialogue encompassed discussions on bilateral issues, including defence, organised crime and counter terrorism, as well as regional security.
The two sides noted with satisfaction that bilateral relations continue to be strengthened and broadened effectively in 7 areas mentioned in the Strategic Partnership Agreement. In this regard, Vietnam reaffirmed its intention to proceed with a proactive and deeper international integration policy. Elevating bilateral relations with the UK through the Strategic Partnership was an important element of this policy. The UK welcomed Vietnam’s intention and also reaffirmed its own commitment to broadening and deepening its relations with Vietnam and the Asia Pacific as a whole. The UK underlined its commitment to further support work in Vietnam on good governance, accountability, transparency and human rights. In order to further enhance the bilateral Strategic Partnership, the UK warmly welcomes the official visit to the UK by the Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly in early December 2011. Vietnam reiterated PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s invitation to PM David Cameron to make an official visit to Vietnam.
On regional security, Minister of State Jeremy Browne noted the important and growing role that ASEAN and ASEAN-led regional mechanisms had to play and welcomed the catalytic role that Vietnam had played during its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2010. The UK looked forward to signing the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Vietnam welcomed the UK's signal of its intent and agreed to actively support an EU role in the region. The two sides also discussed the situation in the East Sea. Both sides acknowledged that the maintenance of peace, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in the East Sea is in the common interest of the international community. The UK was concerned by tensions in this vital global trade artery and expressed its hope that all parties can resolve all territorial disputes in the East Sea peacefully, in line with international law. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of the 2002 ASEAN – China Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea and encouraged the parties to reach an agreement on a code of conduct. The two sides also exchanged understandings on broader geopolitical dynamics of economic power and security.
On defence, the two sides shared views and concerns over existing conflicts and emerging threats and discussed international and multilateral responses and how the two nations could cooperate more closely to minimise threats. The UK welcomed Vietnam’s potential future contribution to UN Peacekeeping Operations. On the bilateral front, the Ministers looked forward to closer defence cooperation, including more frequent exchange of delegations and the signing of an MoU on defence cooperation. Counter-proliferation, nuclear security and other non-traditional security challenges were discussed, with both sides strongly reaffirming the importance of countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction which would destabilise global peace and security. Both sides underlined the importance of making tangible progress on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation to fulfil the commitments set out in the 2010 NPT Action Plan, towards our shared long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two sides also reiterated the importance of preventing nuclear material and know-how falling into the hands of terrorists. The UK and Vietnam agreed to cooperate on a range of international initiatives such as the Nuclear Security Summit and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Vietnam informed the UK of steps taken to sign and ratify the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. The UK also committed to working with Vietnam to develop civil nuclear capacity in pursuit of the legitimate development of clean energy to support its impressive economic growth.
On international organised crime and counter terrorism, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to working together to counter these global threats. The UK welcomes the participation of Vietnam in the London Cyber conference due to take place in early November. Other forms of organised crime including human trafficking and money laundering were also discussed, with both Ministers welcoming the existing cooperation between their two countries and looking forward to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on immigration information exchange. The UK and Vietnam also discussed the UN Convention against Trans-national Organised Crime and the Palermo Protocols on human trafficking and people smuggling. In closing, the two Ministers agreed that Security and Defence would remain a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership and looked forward to ever closer dialogue in the coming months in the spirit of the agreement.
Giang Tu
Vietnamese
