MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
AND
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

Vietnam-UK Cooperation by 2013
Goals and Measures

In March 2008, following the bilateral talks in London (the UK), Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung and Prime Minister Gordon Brown released a Joint Statement identifying five shared priorities for cooperation:  (i) political and diplomatic; (ii) trade and investment; (iii) development; (iv) education and training; (v) migration and organised crime. The participants agreed to turn Vietnam-UK friendship and cooperation into a “Partnership for progress” in the years to come.

On the basis of the 2008 Joint Statement, the two Foreign Offices (hereinafter referred to as the Participants) have approved the document “Vietnam-UK Cooperation by 2013” (in 2013, the two countries will celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of 2008 Joint Statement). In this document, the goals and measures to achieve them have been set out, laying an important foundation for the two Foreign Offices to strengthen bilateral friendship and cooperation by 2013 with a view to building the “Partnership for progress” between Vietnam and the UK in the years to come.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and the network of UK agencies in Vietnam (including the British Embassy, Consulate General, British Council and DFID), in coordination with respective domestic agencies, play a major role in delivering the outcomes set out in this document and will operate in an effective and practical manner to achieve such results that best serve the interests of both sides.

I. Political and Diplomatic:

1. Goals:
- Vietnam and the UK exchange frank views on political, security and global issues of mutual concern so as to achieve constructive outcomes. The participants cooperate closely on initiatives such as PKO, post-conflict reconstruction, climate change, etc.   

- Vietnam-UK dialogue helps Vietnam progress its objectives in the EU and helps the UK progress its objectives in ASEAN.

2. Measures:
- Vietnam and the UK, on a regular basis, exchange delegations and hold high-level meetings, even at the highest-level, in order to enhance bilateral cooperation in all fields.

- The participants will implement the 2008 MOU on the cooperation between the two Foreign Offices, especially the annual Political Consultation mechanism between them.
 
- In 2009, the UK and Vietnam will continue discussions on international peace and security issues in the context of their shared membership of the UN Security Council. Frank dialogues would be intensified at both political and working levels in Hanoi and London as well as other multilateral fora. Both sides will identify and jointly implement any issues where joint efforts could produce constructive outcomes. Such dialogue will increase each side’s understanding of and influence on national and regional positions. 

II. Trade and investment:

1. Goals:
- With Vietnam and the UK having overcome the economic challenges of 2008 and 2009, bilateral trade and investment ties will have increased significantly due to the following factors:

+ Vietnam continued socio-political stability and pursuance of its Doi Moi (reforms) process and deep integration into the world economy, acceleration of administrative reforms and increase of investment in infrastructure, education and training. 
+ Vietnam’s full implementation of its WTO commitments, its action on corruption and corporate governance, its open and transparent tendering.
+ With its maturing economy, Vietnam will be attracting new British investment in creative activities and service sectors. At the same time, investment in financial services will continue to be maintained and expanded. 
+ Vietnam maintains and increases its exports of footwear, garments and textiles, wooden, agricultural and aquatic products to the UK market.
+ The conclusion of a meaningful EU-ASEAN FTA will bring about significant benefit to both Vietnam and the UK.
 - The participants make efforts to increase two-way trade value to US$ 4 billion and UK FDI in Vietnam to US$ 3 billion by 2013.

 - With the UK support, the EU will soon recognise Vietnam’s market economy status.

2. Measures:
-  The participants pay due attention to and facilitate business, trade and investment in their respective markets on the basis of long-term stability, non-discrimination and mutual benefit.

- The participants increase the exchange of high-level governmental delegations and business mission, promote trade and investment to maintain businesses’ interest in their markets.

-  The continued operation of the Vietnam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) with its substantive discussions and strong follow-up is one of the most important measures to promote the economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries.

- The UK continues to include Vietnam in the list of High Growth Market so long as Vietnam continues to meet the criteria.

- To help enterprises easily seek opportunities to do business and invest in each country, the participants will create more favourable conditions for business visa procedures. The Vietnamese businesses will make full use of the advantages offered by the UK’s points-based decision-making visa system. In response to the UK request, Vietnamese agencies will seriously consider and soon propose appropriate solutions to the issuance of visa on arrival for British business visitors on the basis of mutual benefit.

- The participants, along with the European Union (EU) and other like-minded partners, will enhance cooperation in market access. The participants will also mobilize available resources for cooperation in this field, especially training assistance packages for Vietnam where appropriate and will co-ordinate with other parties to ensure maximum impact.

- Through the Beyond WTO project assistance and regular dialogue, the UK will support Vietnam in its efforts to fully implement its WTO commitment timetable and take necessary steps to tackle market access concerns on transparent tendering, corruption and corporate governance.

- British companies will make important contributions on education and training cooperation with Vietnam. They will also contribute knowledge and skills to address Vietnam’s infrastructure needs and reduce its skills gap (such as British-designed airports, seaports and power stations). 

- The reputation and profile of the UK companies will be increased through their participation in the programmes managed by DFID and the British Council to promote the UK as a leading expert on the CSR agenda.

III. Development

1. Goals:
- Vietnam is achieving strong, inclusive, sustainable growth through i) sound and transparent economic and social development policies that reduce poverty; ii) an enabling legislative and judicial environment; and iii) a knowledge society. The Vietnam-UK partnership will focus on exchange of ideas and experience of sustained growth, and collaborating on international development issues, with Vietnam serving as an example to developing countries. 

2. Measures:
- The nature of UK’s (and other donors’) development support will evolve significantly between 2008 and 2013 as Vietnam progresses to MIC status. The UK will remain strongly committed to the aid effectiveness agenda and to supporting Vietnam’s own Socio-Economic Development Plans. By 2013 DFID’s input will be in the middle of transition from a high spend programme of budget support and policy advice to lower-spending, top-level support and advice on “last mile” issues such as: eliminating pockets of deep poverty; attaining the remaining MDG goals – likely to be sanitation and HIV/AIDs; embedding strongly transparent and accountable systems; responding to the challenge of climate change; and the beyond aid agenda.

- The UK will give priority to promoting multilateral effectiveness, notably UN reform and the ‘One UN’ initiative and seek to ensure Vietnam has continued access to quality technical support and advice for Vietnam as donors scale back. 

- Vietnam and the UK will be working together constructively on issues related to legal and judicial reforms including information access, freedom of expression,  penal and criminal issues of mutual concern.

- The UK network will be maximising its impact by working together and giving consistent messages on economic analysis and advice, governance, rule of law and accountability issues, responding to climate change, and migration.
IV. Education and Training:

1. Goals:
- Vietnam’s education reform programme will have delivered improved access to and quality of education at primary, secondary, vocational and higher levels. UK’s contributions will be recognised.

- Vietnamese people’s English language proficiency and other professional skills will increase.

- Higher number of Vietnamese students will benefit from UK education through studying in the UK, obtaining British qualifications in Vietnam or through institutional links.

- Vietnamese trained by UK educational programmes will make positive contributions to Vietnam’s development.

- Greater use of internet and distance learning education resources.

2. Measures:
- The participants will implement Vietnam-UK Memorandum of Collaboration on education.  

- DFID programmes will support the Government of Vietnam in its efforts to achieve universal primary education goals with a focus on improving education quality for disadvantaged children to tackle rising inequality and lay the foundation for ethnic minority and rural children to take advantage of Vietnam’s rising education and economic opportunities.  

- The adoption of the British Council’s Status, under which the Council will operate as a cultural and educational centre in line with Vietnamese legal system, will help facilitate its support to Vietnam’s education programmes. The British Council will support Vietnam on issues such as capacity building, training for leadership, quality assurance and developing skills for employability within the education sector.

- English language skills of Vietnamese people will be improved through the following means:
+ Increase services of English language training provided by UK providers.
+ Improve quality of English teaching at primary and secondary schools with the support from the British Council through programmes of school and university links and through the training of trainers.

- Increased education and examinations by UK providers in Vietnam.

- British institutions will market directly or through British organizations in Vietnam. This will help raise awareness of opportunities for education in the UK and increase the number of Vietnamese students in the UK. 

- British institutions will work with the Vietnamese Government to increase the numbers of  PhD graduates in key areas.

- Increased presence of high quality UK investors in Vietnam will help help increase professional skills and experience of Vietnamese people.

V. Migration and Organised Crime:

1. Goals:
Vietnam and the UK will be more prosperous and diverse through increased legal migration. Harm caused to both societies by illegal migration and organised crime will be reduced. 

2. Measures:
- The number of visas issued for citizens of each country will increase year by year from 2009 to 2013 (with highest increases likely to arise in Vietnamese business visitors and students, and British business visitors and tourists categories) with effective and transparent visa issuing and the possibility of opening Vietnam-UK direct flights.

- Fewer Vietnamese entering the UK illegally; regular, rapid and sustained return of immigrationoffenders; increased prosecutions and reduced occurrences of crimes such as cannabis production, drug trafficking, e-crime, money laundering and organised migration crime, child sexual abuse, etc. will result from the following factors:
+ Vietnam’s socio-economic development and the positive development of the Vietnam-UK cooperation including direct cooperation between Vietnamese and UK law enforcement agencies (such as between the Immigration Department of MPS and UKBA, and officers seconded to each others’ countries).
+ Negotiation and signing of relevant legal  agreements and arrangements (e.g. MOU on migration, Prisoner Transfer Memorandum, MLATs, extradition, etc.).

- The participants, within their respective competence and within the spirit of this Memorandum, will work with other relevant Ministries  to make progress on any problems or difficulties arising.

 This Memorandum of Understanding is valid from the date of signing.

This Memorandum of Understanding is approved and signed in Hanoi on 13 January 2009, in four copies in both Vietnamese and English, which are equally valid.

Notes for Editors

For more information on Sir Peter Ricketts's visit to Vietnam from 13 to 15 January 2009, please see our Press Release.

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