Vietnam's State President Vo Van Thuong met embassy officials and employees and Vietnamese expats in the United Kingdom after he arrived in London to attend the coronation of King Charles III slated for Saturday.

President Thuong and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam landed at Heathrow International Airport in London on Thursday afternoon.

His meeting with the Vietnamese community in the UK was part of the state leader’s ongoing trip to the country at the invitation of the British royal family.

Among the Vietnamese expatriates are members of the Vietnamese Association in the UK, the Vietnamese Intellectual Society in the UK, the Vietnamese Family Partnership in the UK, and the Vietnamese Student Association in the UK.

Some 100,000 Vietnamese people are living, working, and studying in the UK, with most of them staying in London, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long.

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-UK diplomatic ties, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese associations in the UK have been implementing a number of programs to introduce Vietnam to London and other major British cities.

At the meeting with President Thuong, the representatives of these Vietnamese associations expected to continue receiving support from state agencies and firms to boost connectivity programs, contributing to deepening the two nations’ friendship and partnership in the coming time.

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (L) presents a gift to the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

President Thuong expressed his pleasure to meet Vietnamese people and see the strong growth of the Vietnamese expat community in the UK.

He said that these Vietnamese associations have played a key role in cementing the position of Vietnamese people in the UK and strengthening the friendship between the two nations.

President Thuong also praised Vietnamese expatriates in the UK for their programs that have benefited Vietnam and their donations to charity in their homeland, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

His attendance at the coronation of King Charles III is aimed at consolidating the two countries’ relations, enhancing mutual political confidence, and fostering bilateral cooperation in various fields, he underlined.

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