Deputy PM views education as pillar of Vietnam - UK cooperation
Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long received British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew in Hanoi on August 7, affirming education as a standout pillar in the Vietnam - UK Strategic Partnership.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long (R) and British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long received British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew in Hanoi on August 7, affirming education as a standout pillar in the Vietnam - UK Strategic Partnership.
The meeting also saw the attendance of representatives from the University of Southampton, which is ranked among the world’s top 100 universities by QS World Rankings and Navitas, a leading global education group.
Long stressed that education and training play a vital role in advancing the bilateral ties, especially as the two nations are preparing to mark the 15th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership in 2025. He described educational cooperation as a “bright spot” and called on the UK to further strengthen institutional linkages and scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students.
The Deputy PM noted that bilateral trust and cooperation have become increasingly comprehensive and profound in recent years, and suggested that the UK’s continued support could play a valuable role in helping Vietnam advance its goal of making English a second language.
Frew shared a similar view, emphasising that education has long been a central element of the UK – Vietnam relations. He pointed to the presence of 12,000 Vietnamese students currently studying at British institutions as a reflection of the strong ties in this area, and highlighted the expanding opportunities for collaboration across a range of educational fields from general and vocational training to English-language education.
The ambassador also applauded Vietnam’s human capital development efforts, citing four key Politburo resolutions, especially Resolution 57 on driving breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. He reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Vietnam in enhancing education quality and expanding access to scholarships.
A representative from the University of Southampton expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s regulatory openness to international education institutions and shared plans to boost collaboration in the country’s higher education sector.
Long reiterated Vietnam’s strategic focus on institutional reforms, infrastructure development, and humans, particularly the training of a high-quality workforce. He noted that Vietnam aims to host at least two more branch campuses of world-class universities by 2030 and become a regional hub for international education.
He welcomed Southampton’s interest in establishing partnerships and encouraged targeted cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, innovation, digital transformation, and science and technology./.
The Vietnamese Government is hastening several key projects, including cross-border rail connections with China, the North–South high-speed railway, and urban rail lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Over the past decade, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and the UK have made remarkable strides. On trade, the two countries have implemented the UKVFTA for more than four years, and most recently, the UK’s accession as the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has further strengthened bilateral cooperation.
Comprising members who work and conduct research at investment banks, asset management funds, fintech companies, and strategic financial consulting firms, Vietnam Finance and Investment Association in the United Kingdom is well-positioned to stay abreast of global trends, international standards, and effective operational models of the modern financial industry.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
