At the meeting, Patel said General To Lam’s visit to the UK is of significance as it contributes to further enhancing the bilateral ties to deal with non-traditional issues, especially cross-border organised crime like economic crime, illegal migration, human trafficking, money laundering and high-tech crime.
The UK will step up cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) across spheres, and supports the grouping’s centrality in maintaining the regional architecture, she pledged.
The UK will also make more contributions to maintaining peace, stability, security and safety of aviation and navigation in the East Sea in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).
Minister Lam congratulated the UK on becoming ASEAN’s 11th dialogue partner, saying Vietnam stands ready to work as a bridge promoting cooperation between the UK and the bloc, and back the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific (CPTPP).
Vietnam always regards the UK as a leading priority in its foreign policy, for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world, the minister stressed.
According to Lam, Vietnam highly values the UK’s agreements with the EU after Brexit in different fields, the country’s Global Britain strategy, and its announcement of the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy by 2025 with a vision towards 2030.
He held that cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the UK Home Department has been deepened in such areas as the sharing of information and data, personnel training and crime combat.
The minister suggested the two sides promote delegation exchange, information sharing and collaboration in fighting illegal migration, and called on the UK to help Vietnam in accessing COVID-19 vaccines and treatment drugs, and create conditions for Vietnamese citizens to get visas, enter, study and work legally in the UK.
Host and guest noted with pleasure new developments of the Vietnam-UK relations, especially after the two countries signed the “Joint Declaration on the Vietnam - UK Strategic Partnership: Forging Ahead for Another 10 Years,” in September 2020, and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement on December 31, 2020.
At the end of the meeting, Patel said she plans to pay a working visit to Vietnam in the first quarter of 2022 to discuss plans on bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
