Speaker welcomes Vietnam delegation to House of Commons
1 July 2022
The Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly used his first visit to the House of Commons to thank the Speaker for the UK’s donation of three million doses of the Covid 19 vaccine to his country.
His Excellency Vuong Dinh Hue said he was also grateful for the UK’s donation of £500,000 to UNICEF to procure medical equipment for Vietnam.
As a result, Vietnam has vaccinated 98% of its population – and had been fully reopened to visitors since May, he said. It is now anticipating growth of 7-8% of GDP by the end of the year.
The Vietnamese Speaker, accompanied by a delegation from his Parliament, made the comments during a meeting initiated by Sir Lindsay Hoyle, as part of his Speaker-led diplomacy to establish enduring ties between countries and parliamentarians.
The two men talked about the importance of greater links and exchange visits between the two Parliaments – to deepen discussions on diplomacy, climate change, investment, education and security.
Mr Speaker asked His Excellency if he would consider using Vietnam’s historic ties with Russia to encourage the Kremlin to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
He also stressed that his "heart went out" to the families of 39 Vietnamese migrants, who suffocated in a lorry trailer en route from Belgium to the UK in 2019, arguing that tragic events like these "must never happen again".
He said he hoped more Vietnamese students would consider studying in the UK – with more British students also taking up education in Vietnam.