Speaker welcomes Vietnam’s new ambassador to the UK
19 January 2022
Vietnam’s ambassador to the UK told the Speaker of the House of Commons that he hoped to double bilateral trade during his time in London.
His Excellency Nguyen Hoang Long hailed the UK-Vietnam trading partnership, currently worth £6.6bn, but he hoped it would grow even further.
"Vietnam is a fast-growing economy; we have 100 million people - 70% of whom are under 40 – so we’re vibrant young, and very international," he said.
"We speak English; we love the UK and British culture, so it is a win-win situation."
The ambassador, who took up his posting in June, made the comments during a meeting hosted by Sir Lindsay as part of his Speaker-led diplomacy to establish enduring ties between countries and parliamentarians.
He said he also hoped the Chair of Vietnam’s National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue would visit the UK ahead of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2023.
Mr Speaker praised Mr Long for his vision, adding that a strong relationship with Vietnam was also vital to the UK’s work to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking.