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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who is visiting Britain, has promised to facilitate U.K. businesses to expand and operate fruitfully in Vietnam even as businesses from the two countries signed deals worth US$1 billion.
Dung, who arrived in London Tuesday, and his host, the city’s mayor, Alderman David Lewis, also witnessed the signing of deals between the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and the UK’s Salamander and SOCO; the Vietnam Industrial and Commercial Bank (Incombank) and Standard Chartered Bank; the Bao Viet Insurance Group and HSBC Insurance; and Lilama and Mott MacDonald.
Britain is the first leg of Dung’s week-long European trip which will also take him to Ireland and Germany, and his visit is aimed at deepening economic relations with the EU countries.
During their meeting, Dung told Lewis that his government was making efforts to develop sound financial and banking systems that would enable rapid and sustainable economic development.
During a meeting earlier with leading financial experts, Dung said foreign banks would be allowed to open wholly-owned banks in the country.
Vietnam would do its best to strengthen further economic, trade, investment, cultural, educational, and scientific cooperation with the UK, he assured.
He met Sir John Rose, chief executive of carmaker Rolls-Royce plc., and Sir David Wright, vice chairman of Barclays Capital.
Dung will meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss measures to foster bilateral cooperation, particularly in finance, trade and investment, and education and training.
