(VOVWORLD) - Party General Secretary To Lam attended and delivered a keynote speech at the Vietnam–UK High-level Economic Conference in London on Thursday, as part of his official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
 General Secretary To Lam speaks at the Vietnam-UK High-Level Economic Conference. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA) |
In his remarks, General Secretary To Lam highlighted the strong growth in trade and investment, a key pillar of bilateral relations, which has laid a solid foundation for both sides to elevate their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.
On developing an international financial center, the General Secretary proposed several key areas of collaboration including green finance and carbon markets, learning from London’s global leadership in climate finance; cooperation in FinTech and digital banking, where Vietnam has vast potential thanks to its young population and rapid digital transformation.
 General Secretary To Lam witnesses the signing ceremony of cooperation agreements between ministries, sectors, localities and businesses of the two countries. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA) |
He also expressed Vietnam’s desire to work with British partners to develop smart payment technologies, AI applications in finance, and secure data management, aiming toward a modern and transparent financial system, along with joint training and expert exchange programs to build international financial expertise.
During the conference, the General Secretary and the Vietnamese high-level delegation witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements between ministries, localities, and enterprises, including a mutual administrative assistance agreement in customs, green finance development, funding for key projects in Vietnam, international financial center development, international bond issuance cooperation, clean energy collaboration, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on clean energy and grid transition, a disaster risk reduction partnership framework, and a technical assistance project on sustainable transition and climate change adaptation.
Cooperation agreements between localities and international organizations include a friendship cooperation pact between Ho Chi Minh City and Liverpool, an investment certificate for Castrol Gogoro Mobility joint venture in Vietnam’s electric motorbike sector, a cooperation agreement on developing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities at Van Don Airport, and a satellite design and manufacturing partnership in Vietnam.
Key business deals included Vietjet’s contract to purchase 100 A321neo aircraft with options for 50 more, valued at 25 billion USD, and a 3.8 billion USD maintenance and engine service agreement with Rolls-Royce for its A330neo fleet.