Vietnam president arrives in London for coronation of King Charles III

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong arrived at Heathrow International Airport in London on Thursday afternoon to attend the coronation of King Charles III at the invitation of the UK Royal Family.

UK Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew told Vietnam News Agency it was a significant occassion as the UK had not crowned a new monarch in seven decades. Therefore, it is of great importance that the Vietnamese President, along with other world leaders, attended the event.

President Vo Van Thuong is scheduled to meet King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla and leaders of the UK government, further tightening ties as well as contributing to enhancing political trust and relations between the two countries.

The Vietnamese State leader is also due to meet representatives of leading economic corporations and educational institutions, along with friendship organizations that have made significant contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

The UK is the third largest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe. The two sides signed a free trade agreement in December 2020 on the principle of inheriting the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) with necessary adjustments to ensure compliance with the framework of bilateral trade.

The UK government announced on March 31 its conclusion of trade talks with member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a vast free trade area spanning the Indo-Pacific region, after 21 months of negotiations. Vietnam is one of the CPTPP members.

“It is particularly meaningful that Vietnam hosted the final round of negotiations on UK accession, as we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties between the UK and Vietnam in 2023,” Frew said on March 31 following the conclusion of negotiations.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and the UK reached $6.83 billion last year, up 3.4% compared to 2021. Of which, Vietnam’s exports hit $6.06 billion, up 5.2%, according to official Vietnamese data.