British Royal Navy ship HMS Richmond at Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam on October 1, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the UK Embassy in Vietnam)

The visit comes on the 10th anniversary of UK-Vietnam defence cooperation and just two months after the first-ever visit to Vietnam by the UK Secretary of State for Defence in July 2021, the Embassy said, noting that the ship's presence underlines the UK's commitment to the Indo-Pacific, at the heart of which lies the UK's partnership with Vietnam.

Captain Hugh Botterill, HMS Richmond’s Commanding Officer, said their role is to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to a persistent and reliable presence in the Indo-Pacific, including crucial regional partners like Vietnam.

British Ambassador Gareth Ward said, “The UK and Vietnam are both maritime nations. We value freedom of navigation, based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”