We are pleased to present the content of the Joint Statement:
1. Over five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973 and 15 years after the implementation of the Strategic Partnership framework established in 2010, Vietnam and the United Kingdom have built a strong and lasting partnership based on mutual respect and a shared vision for a secure, prosperous, and sustainable future.
2. During the official visit of Mr. To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam , to the United Kingdom from October 28 to 30, 2025, at the invitation of Mr. Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby strengthening cooperation across six key pillars.
I. Strengthening cooperation in politics , diplomacy, defense, and security.
3. Both sides commit to strengthening political trust through maintaining exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts through all channels between the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Government, the National Assembly, and localities of Vietnam with relevant UK agencies; enhancing the effectiveness of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Strategic Dialogue at the Deputy Foreign Minister level, the Maritime Dialogue, as well as expanding or developing new cooperation mechanisms to further deepen specialized cooperation.
4. Both sides agreed to strengthen exchanges of delegations and cooperation between agencies and specialized committees of the two countries' parliaments, friendship parliamentary groups, female parliamentarians, and young parliamentarians; enhance the sharing of experience in legislative oversight and parliamentary work; promote oversight and coordinated oversight of the implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements and arrangements signed between the two countries; and strengthen consultations, sharing of views, and coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums in which both sides participate.
5. In line with the vision of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam and the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen diplomatic personnel at each other's representative offices to promote and expand areas of cooperation, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Both sides are committed to promptly responding to requests for diplomatic approval for new and existing positions in accordance with the laws of both sides. At the same time, both sides have also agreed to coordinate towards the renovation of the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City in accordance with Vietnamese law.
6. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the multilateral system with the United Nations at its center and agreed to cooperate closely in multilateral forums and international organizations, including inter-parliamentary forums. Both sides committed to acting as a bridge between the United Kingdom, ASEAN, and its member states; promoting linkages between the United Kingdom and the Mekong sub-region; and supporting the building of a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centered ASEAN Community that plays a core role in the regional architecture. Both sides also agreed to effectively implement the ASEAN-UK Joint Declaration on Connectivity; welcomed the robust implementation of the ASEAN-UK Action Plan 2022-2026, and agreed to promptly launch the development of the ASEAN-UK Action Plan 2026-2030.
7. Vietnam highly appreciates the role of the United Kingdom in the region as well as its contributions to ASEAN and regional cooperation, and supports the UK's increased involvement in regional, sub-regional and ASEAN-led mechanisms.
8. Both sides welcome cooperation within the framework of the existing Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation in areas of mutual interest including: exchange of delegations, defense industry cooperation and defense industry partnerships, peacekeeping, maritime awareness enhancement, geospatial mapping and hydrography.
9. Both sides commit to cooperating on maritime security and sharing best practices on maritime awareness initiatives and maritime security strategies. Both sides will continue to facilitate reciprocal port visits between naval vessels of the two countries in accordance with the laws of each country, and continue to promote cooperation on maritime security and safety and professional exchanges between the navies and coast guards of the two countries.
10. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation on maritime security, enhance maritime security surveillance and protection capabilities through personnel training, technology transfer, and promote multilateral cooperation on maritime security between the National Border Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, and relevant agencies of the UK Government.
11. The two sides will strengthen deeper cooperation between the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Royal Customs and Excise Agency (HM Revenue and Customs) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom; promote cooperation, information exchange and capacity building in combating serious organized crime, including migration crime.
12. Both sides agreed to explore promoting discussions on sharing criminal records and extradition issues; and to exchange information and share experiences related to international standards on cybersecurity, information security, and non-traditional security threats.
13. Both sides will endeavor to complete internal procedures related to the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime, and promote cooperation in combating cybercrime, recognizing that the early entry into force of the Convention will contribute to promoting regional and international cooperation in this field.
14. Both sides agreed to establish an Enhanced Migration Partnership to minimize illegal migration and expedite the repatriation of undocumented migrants, with new measures including: the application of biometric data sharing in the verification process, expediting the issuance of documents, a commitment to enhanced cooperation in dismantling immigration-related criminal networks, and strengthening deterrence communications.
II. Strengthening economic, trade, investment, and financial cooperation
15. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen economic cooperation – a key pillar of bilateral relations – promoting free, fair, inclusive and sustainable trade, and supporting a transparent and rules-based international trading system. Both sides committed to cooperating to promote and enhance trade and investment on a non-discriminatory and mutually beneficial basis.
16. Vietnam and the United Kingdom will strive to create a fair, transparent, and open business environment in both countries, remove barriers to market access, and promote smooth bilateral trade, enabling businesses from both sides to confidently export and invest.
17. The two governments will maintain open and constructive dialogue through the Vietnam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee (JETCO), a mechanism aimed at removing barriers faced by businesses in both countries in expanding trade and investment. Both sides will actively strengthen cooperation between trade and investment promotion agencies, and work towards establishing an annual business dialogue mechanism between UK business leaders and Vietnamese government leaders to enhance trade and investment cooperation.
18. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate efforts to effectively implement and review the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the United Kingdom (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP). Cooperation includes facilitating market access by removing trade barriers for each other's goods and services, protecting intellectual property rights, reducing costs, promoting e-commerce, supporting businesses in building robust supply chains leveraging the strengths of each economy in accordance with the laws of both countries, and encouraging digital trade to adapt to new technologies in an increasingly interconnected world.
19. The two leaders acknowledged the importance of respecting internationally recognized labor rights based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
20. As members of the CPTPP Agreement, both sides will cooperate to promote the comprehensive review process and recognize the importance of further expanding this agreement.
21. Both sides welcome the signing of the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters between Vietnam and the United Kingdom (full name: Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters).
22. Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining food supply chains to ensure regional and global food security; agreed to strengthen agricultural trade cooperation in a transparent, clear, and efficient manner, and to promote market access. Both sides agreed to approach future negotiations on agricultural reform within the WTO framework in a cooperative and constructive spirit.
23. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in developing Vietnam's International Financial Centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, including through the Vietnam-UK International Financial Centre Partnership framework. This initiative will leverage the UK's experience as a global financial center and green capital market hub, while deepening economic cooperation between the two countries in the financial services and professional services sectors. Through knowledge exchange, both sides will share policies, legal approaches, and financial system management experience; promoting the development of capital markets, fintech, green finance, and insurance.
24. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation through mobilizing green finance to promote green, low-emission growth and to coordinate the sharing of expertise and the deployment of green finance instruments in Vietnam, including through the launch of the Vietnam-UK Green Finance Partnership. Both sides committed to removing institutional barriers to enable the private sector to play a central role in promoting green growth and sustainable trade.
25. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation on trade finance through the design and implementation of transparent, efficient, and sustainable trade finance mechanisms. Vietnam and the United Kingdom will continue discussions and exchange experiences on trade finance registration systems and leverage the UK Export Finance (UKEF) export credit program, with a total support limit of up to £5 billion for potential investments in Vietnam. Both sides welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam and UKEF.
III. Strengthening cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and healthcare.
26. Both sides committed to strengthening cooperation in the fields of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, recognizing these as key drivers for sustainable and inclusive development. Both sides shared a common vision on the role of science and technology in shaping the future and committed to applying new technologies in line with the universal values of peace, freedom, and responsibility.
27. Both sides agreed to effectively implement the Memorandum of Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation in 2025 to strengthen cooperation in the fields of healthcare, green growth and breakthrough technologies; promote knowledge and experience sharing, train high-quality human resources, and boost research and technology commercialization through collaborative projects between research institutes, universities, government agencies and enterprises of both sides.
28. Both sides acknowledged the importance and long-term impact of digital transformation on countries and agreed to strengthen cooperation in policy development and the implementation of joint initiatives in this field.
29. Both sides committed to promoting access to quality healthcare services for their populations and building efficient, sustainable, and resilient health systems. They agreed to promote expert exchanges, policy dialogues, and joint cooperation projects on global health security, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and capacity building for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and population aging, based on a “One Health” approach. They also agreed to deepen cooperation in digital health, expand cooperation on animal welfare, and broaden trade and investment in the health and life sciences sectors, focusing on pharmaceuticals, clinical services, medical technology, and consumer healthcare.
IV. Cooperation on environment, energy and green transition
30. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting a clean, equitable, and sustainable energy transition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with international commitments and each country's development priorities, supported by ambitious, adjusted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Vietnam and the United Kingdom will prioritize green energy transition targets, particularly through the effective implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework for Vietnam, with the active participation and coordination of the United Kingdom in the International Partnership Group (IPG). Vietnam will continue to improve its legal framework and policy mechanisms to facilitate the mobilization of public and private financial resources for climate goals, ensuring transparency and efficiency towards sustainable development.
31. Both sides agreed to establish a Vietnam-UK Clean Energy Partnership between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant UK agencies to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and resilient economy in both countries; support the implementation of projects under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP); expand technical cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, phasing out coal-fired power, and upgrading grid infrastructure; create opportunities for UK businesses to invest in offshore wind power and clean energy in Vietnam, contributing to promoting green industrial growth in both countries; remove legal and regulatory barriers hindering the green transition, in line with the legal processes of Vietnam and the UK; strengthen inter-ministerial coordination to effectively implement common green transition goals; and promote green and inclusive jobs, sustainable urban development through green transport and energy efficiency.
32. Recognizing the economic, social, environmental, and migration impacts of climate change, Vietnam and the United Kingdom agree to promote the Memorandum of Understanding on Climate Partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to enhance cooperation in climate risk management; support the integration of climate change adaptation targets into sectoral development planning and mobilize financing for disaster risk reduction through the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership; promote cooperation in nature-based solutions and biodiversity conservation, as well as develop Vietnam's forest carbon market towards effective implementation.
33. The two countries agreed to strengthen technical cooperation and official development assistance (ODA) within the framework of their comprehensive strategic partnership. In parallel with Vietnam's implementation of necessary policy measures, the United Kingdom committed to providing targeted technical assistance to Vietnam through ODA initiatives aligned with both countries' green development priorities, as well as in the areas of clean energy transition, green finance, carbon markets, urban development, green transport and infrastructure, transboundary water resource management, marine environmental protection, climate-adaptive agriculture, and sustainable fisheries.
V. Strengthening cooperation in education, culture, sports, tourism, people-to-people exchanges, equal rights, and other fields.
34. Both sides commit to protecting and ensuring the safety of Vietnamese and UK visitors and residents in each country, through compliance with commitments under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in accordance with national laws.
35. Vietnam and the United Kingdom affirmed that education and training are pillars of sustainable growth and human development; welcomed the signing of the Letter of Intent and agreed to continue coordinating towards renewing the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two Ministries of Education in the near future. Both sides agreed to promote academic exchanges and encourage the establishment of new joint programs, strengthening cooperation between higher education, vocational and secondary education institutions through the exchange of lecturers, researchers and students, especially in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and aerospace.
36. The United Kingdom affirms its continued support for Vietnam in promoting English language teaching and training, aiming to make English the second language in Vietnamese schools by 2035 and enhance talent development through cooperation between Vietnamese educational institutions, training centers, and schools. Vietnam welcomes UK educational institutions establishing branches and operating effectively in Vietnam, and encourages increased cross-border educational cooperation, with the goal of making Vietnam a new international education hub.
37. Both sides agreed to encourage cooperation in the fields of culture, sports, tourism, and media; to coordinate the organization of promotional activities and cultural, sports, and artistic exchanges in each country; to facilitate the exploration of cooperation opportunities and the exchange of information and experience between agencies, associations, and tourism businesses of both sides in areas of mutual strength; and to welcome the contributions and roles of the communities of both countries in promoting people-to-people exchanges and friendship between the two nations.
38. The two leaders acknowledged the important contributions of the British Council to bilateral relations in areas such as cultural exchange and education. Both sides will cooperate to ensure the British Council continues to make these contributions in accordance with Vietnamese law.
39. Both sides emphasized the importance of cooperation between localities; encouraging localities in both countries to strengthen exchanges and share experiences in sustainable development, smart city building, green transformation, and innovation. Vietnam and the United Kingdom officially launched the City-to-City Partnership between Ho Chi Minh City and the Liverpool Metropolitan Area, demonstrating the increasingly deep friendship between the two countries and their cities.
40. Vietnam and the United Kingdom both acknowledge the valuable contributions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to socio-economic development, as well as their role in supporting the efforts of both countries to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
41. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting and protecting human rights in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law. The two countries will continue sincere, frank, and constructive dialogue through multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). They will cooperate in implementing international human rights conventions to which they are signatories, and share best practices in anti-discrimination legislation. Vietnam and the United Kingdom will cooperate to promote the building of an inclusive society that values and guarantees equal opportunities and respects the human rights of all citizens, free from any form of discrimination.
VI. Strengthening coordination on regional and international issues
42. Both sides are committed to maintaining and promoting peace, stability, security and prosperity globally, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, and share a common vision of a just international order based on international law, respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
43. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation between the United Kingdom and the Mekong Subregion, particularly with the Mekong River Commission, in the areas of sustainable development, climate change adaptation, sustainable water resource management, and green finance.
44. The two countries expressed deep concern over the complex developments in global geopolitical hotspots; called for an end to violence, the protection of civilians, and the assurance of unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with international law; supported international efforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation, and the search for peaceful, comprehensive, and sustainable solutions to crises; and emphasized the importance of achieving a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace in accordance with international law and on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.
45. Both sides emphasized the importance of achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with international law and on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter. Vietnam and the United Kingdom reaffirmed the importance of respecting the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of all states.
46. Vietnam and the United Kingdom emphasized the importance of all parties involved in the Middle East adhering to the terms of the ceasefire agreement; called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and condemned any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to supporting a two-state solution as the only path to ensuring a just and lasting peace for both Israel and Palestine, as well as maintaining stability in the region.
47. The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region; emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the seas and oceans; peacefully resolving disputes on the basis of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982); called on countries in the region to fully and effectively implement the entire Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) of 2002; and supported current efforts to achieve a practical and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) consistent with international law and UNCLOS 1982.
48. Based on the content of the Joint Statement, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries are responsible for coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to develop a joint action plan to implement and realize the above-mentioned objectives.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-bo-chung-ve-nang-cap-quan-he-viet-nam-anh-len-doi-tac-chien-luoc-toan-dien-2457701.html
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