Vietnam, UK elevate bilateral ties to comprehensive strategic partnership

The joint declaration was released at the conclusion of the meeting, held as part of Lam’s official visit to the UK from October 28 to 30 at the invitation of Prime Minister Starmer, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The document highlights that over five decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, and especially since the adoption of their strategic partnership in 2010, Vietnam and the UK have built a strong and enduring relationship based on mutual respect and a shared vision of a safe, prosperous, and sustainable future.

Building on this foundation, General Secretary Lam and Prime Minister Starmer agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Lam’s visit.

The declaration, comprising 48 points, sets out measures to advance collaboration in six key pillars: politics, diplomacy, defense and security; economy, trade, investment and finance; science, technology, innovation and health; environment, energy and green transition; education, culture and people-to-people exchange; and regional and international cooperation.

Both leaders pledged to closely coordinate in implementing the new partnership.

With this elevation, the UK becomes the 14th country worldwide to hold this level of partnership with Vietnam.

This also means Vietnam now has comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Russia, China, the U.S., France, and the UK.

Earlier in the talks, the two leaders lauded the positive development of Vietnam–UK relations, particularly efforts to resolve outstanding issues and pursue mutually beneficial solutions for their peoples.

They welcomed the alignment of their positions on key regional and global matters and noted their close coordination and mutual support in multilateral forums.

Lam emphasized that Vietnam values its traditional friendship with the UK, built on mutual respect and shared benefits, and is committed to fostering a forward-looking partnership.

He said Vietnam stands ready to deepen cooperation across a wide range of areas from politics, defense, and security to science and technology, digital transformation, finance, education, environment, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

As an ASEAN member, Vietnam is also ready to serve as a bridge for stronger UK–ASEAN cooperation and broader access to Southeast Asian markets.

For his part, Prime Minister Starmer expressed his wish to further advance the comprehensive bilateral cooperation, particularly within the frameworks of the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

He underscored that the UK government stands ready to assist Vietnam in achieving its net-zero emissions target by 2050, encourage British enterprises to expand investment and cooperation in the Southeast Asian country, and support the implementation of the Just Energy Transition Partnership.

Both leaders highlighted strong potential for future collaboration in green and sustainable growth, digital industries, and high-quality workforce training.

They also set a goal of doubling bilateral trade in the near future, with Prime Minister Starmer seeking Vietnam’s support to promote cooperation in e-commerce and financial services under the CPTPP framework.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of shared concern.

General Secretary Lam extended an invitation to Prime Minister Starmer to visit Vietnam in the near future, which the British leader warmly accepted.