On September 15, 2025, within the framework of his working trip to the UK and the Republic of Italy, the Minister of Finance had a meeting and working session with the UK Prime Minister's Trade Special Envoy, Mr. Matt Western.
At the meeting, the two sides discussed the cooperation situation between Vietnam and the UK. The Minister of Finance emphasized that the UK is a partner of strategic importance to Vietnam, especially in recent years, when the economic - trade - investment relationship between the two countries is maintaining a positive growth trend.
According to Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang, Free Trade Agreements such as the UKVFTA and CPTPP have opened up opportunities for businesses of the two countries. In the customs sector, the two sides are in the process of promoting the progress of the procedures for signing a Government-level Agreement between the two countries on Cooperation and mutual Administrative Assistance in the Customs sector.
In investment cooperation, the UK currently has 606 valid projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 4.65 billion USD, ranking 15/152 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The Minister affirmed that Vietnam will continue to improve the investment environment, creating favorable conditions for foreign enterprises, including the UK.
According to Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang, 2025 is a year of special significance when marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam - UK Strategic Partnership (2010 - 2025). The Minister of Finance expressed his desire to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby opening up a more extensive, comprehensive and sustainable cooperation framework in many fields.
The UK Prime Minister's Trade Special Envoy - Member Matt Western expressed his delight at the strong development of economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries. Mr. Matt Western also highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts in institutional reform, financial market development and international integration. He affirmed that the UK is ready to share experiences, provide technical assistance and cooperate closely with relevant Vietnamese agencies to build an International Financial Center in Vietnam, promote the process of upgrading the Vietnamese stock market, thereby creating more favorable conditions for international capital flows and strengthening the confidence of global investors.
At the end of the meeting, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang expressed his confidence that the meeting was an important premise to expand bilateral cooperation, contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the two countries.
