Tony Blair clinches deal to be adviser for Vietnam government
Monday, September 09, 2013, 17:30 GMT+7
Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, has struck a deal to become the adviser for the government of Vietnam.
The deal has been reached after two meetings between the former British Prime Minister and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi in 2013 and 2012.
In the new deal with Vietnam, a team of Mr Blair’s consultants are understood to be working with the foreign ministry to support economic and trade links with the UK and the European Union, according to the Britain's Telegraph newspaper.
The last time Mr Blair and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met was in March this year.
The former British PM also met with Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who "appreciated the consultancy and supports of the Office of Tony Blair for the Vietnamese authorities.”
“The supports included the development of cooperation in counseling for state-owned enterprise reform, the attraction of foreign investment, the promotion of public-private partnerships, socioeconomic development, and the development of private sector".
On the first visit last October, Mr Blair was reported to offer to advise the government on issues including reforming Vietnam’s economy, attracting more foreign investment and adapting to climate change, Telegraph reported.
In addition to Vietnam, Mr Blair also played an advisory role for teh governments of Colombia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait and Peru.
Meanwhile, the Telegraph said Mr Blair will also provide consulting services for both Thailand and Hong Kong in the near future.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was in power from 1997 to 2007, is the longest-serving Prime Minister of the British Labor Party’s before being succeeded by Gordon Brown.
Mr Blair was appointed a special envoy of the Middle East Quartet, including the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia after leaving his post in the government one year later.
Also, according to the BBC, Mr Blair is said to work as the advisor to a number of financial institutions, such as JPMorgan Chase and Zurich International. Besides, he also helped establish consulting firms for a number of governments worldwide.
