UK Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday celebrated in HCM City

Ho Chi Minh City, June 11 (VNA) - The Vietnam Union of Friendship Associations and the Vietnam-UK Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City (VUFA) jointly held a ceremony on June 10 in the southern city to mark the 89th birthday of UK Queen Elizabeth II. Addressing the event, VUFA Chairman Huynh Ngoc An said Vietnam and the UK are celebrating the Queen’s birthday in the context of growing bilateral ties in all fields. Economic and trade relations between the two countries have expanded significantly since they signed their strategic partnership, he noted. At the same time, education and training collaboration has also grown with a rising number of Vietnamese students studying in the UK and more UK professors teaching in universities in Vietnam, said An. He added that the Newton Fund in Vietnam, an official cooperation programme between Vietnamese and UK governments, has provide a 10 million GBP sponsorship over five years for research and inventions in Vietnam. Meanwhile, UK Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Douglas Anthony Barnes reviewed major milestones in the bilateral relationship, highlighting that ties have been enhanced in all fields with regular friendship visits and affiliation in economics, trade, education, defence and crime control. Particularly, the UK and Ho Chi Minh City have set up a strong partnership through effective and frequent joint activities. The diplomat stated that Vietnam is one of the most important partners of his country in Southeast Asia , expressing his hope that the bilateral partnership will flourish in the future./.