Vietnamese Ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland Vu Quang Minh and Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jeremy Browne signed an action plan for 2012.
The move targets to accelerate the implementation of the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership which had been reached in London in 2010.
The action plan defines specific targets and measures to realize the strategic partnership between the two countries in seven areas, namely politics and diplomacy; global and regional issues; trade and investment, sustainable socio-economic development; education and training, science and technology; security and national defense and people-to-people exchanges.
At the signing ceremony, the two sides underlined their determination to put the action plan into reality; hold a strategic dialogue in 2012 on politics, diplomacy and defense in Vietnam; organize a policy making dialogue in London on global and regional issues; combat weapons of mass destruction and prepare for the 2015 NPT Review Conference.
Regarding trade and investment, the two countries agreed to raise the two-way trade turnover to US$4 billion and UK’s investment to US$3 billion in Vietnam and reinforce the linkages with the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UK-ABC).
Both sides would boost South-South cooperation and strengthen coordination in combating corruption.
They agreed to add climate change to development and green growth policies. Accordingly, the UK pledged to provide financial and technological assistance for Vietnam to improve hydrographic competence including handing over its weather forecast technology for the recipient country.
The two sides reached consensus to hold regular and effective dialogues on economic reform in SOEs, banking system, assessment of public investment and finance.
They agreed to better primary education, especially for poor and ethnic minority pupils through the School Education Quality Assurance Program (SEQAP); and early finalize an agreement on sustainable model for an international-class university in the central city of Danang.
According to the action plan, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on information sharing and immigration management will be signed.
Both sides promised to finalize program to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
VGP
Vietnamese
