The relationship will be founded firmly upon common values:  the respect of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non – interference in each country’s internal affairs, mutual respect and benefit, a commitment to global free trade and sustainable low-carbon development, rule of law, human rights, multilateralism, respect for the United Nations Charter and international law, for the sake of global peace, security, stability and development.
This Strategic Partnership will provide a framework to develop the bilateral relationship in a comprehensive way, in particular for strengthening and deepening cooperation across these key areas:   

1. Political – diplomatic cooperation
The two sides will promote regular meetings and dialogue between Leaders of both countries, including official visits by Leaders and Ministers in both directions and meetings in the margins of international and regional fora as appropriate. Both sides commit to facilitating high level direct contact by telephone or videoconference on issues of importance when appropriate. Both sides highly appreciate the valuable role undertaken by the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, HRH The Duke of York in promoting trade and investment links between the two countries.
The two sides welcome an intensification of links between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and British political parties, as well as between the CPV agencies and UK government agencies, academic and strategic policy institutions.
The two sides welcome enhanced parliamentary cooperation, including bilateral visits, cooperation in multilateral fora and projects aimed at sharing experience.
The two sides will look at ways to increase direct contact between regions and provinces of the two countries, with particular regard to promoting trade and investment and educational links. This might include regional trade missions and educational exchanges.
The two sides note with satisfaction the increasing number of individual dialogues which have been established between the two governments, and at an EU level: including on political and foreign policy planning consultation, trade and investment, development cooperation, education, migration, human rights.  
The two sides decide to establish the biennial Strategic Dialogue to review the bilateral relationship, with the participation by representatives from Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other government agencies as appropriate, chaired by a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs or senior officials as appropriate and will alternate between Hanoi and London.

2. Global and regional issues
Following Vietnam’s successful membership of the UN Security Council and current chairmanship of ASEAN, and UK’s role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and leading member of the European Union, both sides commit to a closer coordination in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, ASEM and ASEAN – EU fora, and the WTO. This will include exchanges of views in the areas of: climate change and promoting a low carbon economy; conservation and environmental protection; free trade; international development, including attainment of MDGs; international institutional reform, including “One UN”; Conflict prevention; non-proliferation; human rights.
Both sides will pay particular attention to strengthening of the EU-ASEAN relationship and in cooperating to promote political stability and security, economic and social development within both regions. Both sides commit to regular, working-level exchanges of views in capitals on regional issues of interest. Areas include supporting the building of an ASEAN Community, strengthening institutions as provided for by the ASEAN Charter, including the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights; narrowing the development gap in ASEAN through exchanges of best practices and assistance for capacity building.

3. Trade and Investment
Both sides recognise that commitment to free trade and open markets plays an increasingly important part in ensuring continued global development and further intensification of the UK/Vietnam relationship for mutual benefit. Both sides commit to work for reform of the global financial and monetary system, in particular institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, and will work towards deeper integration between their two regions based on free trade, not protectionism. Both sides will support continued strengthening and expansion of the World Trade Organisation, including the early conclusion of the Doha round with a development-friendly outcome.
The UK continues to support Vietnam in enhancing economic and trade ties with the EU. In that light, mindful of the incrementally consolidated market economy mechanism in Vietnam, the UK commits to support the EU’s early recognition of Vietnam’s market economy status subject to it meeting the established EU criteria. Both sides will work to explore ways and means toward a possible negotiation of a WTO-compatible Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the EU.    
Both sides will encourage and facilitate business, trade and investment in their respective markets on the basis of long term stability and mutual benefit. In this respect, Vietnam welcome that UKTI has designated Vietnam as a High Growth Market. Both sides will create favourable conditions for access to each other’s markets, in conformity with the WTO rules and the UK will continue to support Vietnam to prioritise and deliver its trade policy reform agenda. In this regards, The UK will provide training assistance packages for Vietnam where appropriate.
Both sides will continue to encourage each other’s investment and trade. The UK welcomes Vietnam’s intention to expand its investment and to increase its exports in the UK market, in particular the footwear, garments and textiles, wooden, agricultural and aquatic products. Vietnam likewise encourages more UK exports to Vietnam. The UK will look to consolidate its position as Vietnam’s number one overseas investor in financial services, and increase UK trade and investment in other key sectors including insurance services, banking, energy, real estate, retail, telecoms, IT and creative industries in Vietnam market.
Both sides underline the great bilateral importance of creating strategic partnerships including business as well as government. They therefore commit to promoting flagship projects, and will regularly identify and review progress of such projects through a dialogue involving CEOs of the companies concerned, ministers and senior officials. This will be particularly important in strategic industries such as infrastructure, aviation, and energy as well as defence.
Both sides recognise the potential for the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) model in financing infrastructure development. Vietnam welcomes the UK government’s decision to finance studies by Partnerships UK on the implementation of the PPP model in Vietnam and the creation of an industry group of UK companies to provide expertise in this area. Following the PPP Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier in 2010 both sides look forward to UK involvement in pilot PPP projects in Vietnam.
Both sides welcome and support Vietnam Airlines intention to begin direct flights between London and Vietnam, possibly by the end of 2011, which will have a favourable effect on trade and investment as well as tourism and education relations.
Economic, trade and investment issues will be monitored and discussed with a view to resolution through the Joint Economic and Trade Committee process. This will comprise an annual plenary meeting, to be chaired on each side by Ministers (or in their absence senior officials), alternate between Hanoi and London, and with the presence of business representatives where appropriate. Quarterly review meetings can be convened at official level where appropriate to monitor progress and to examine emerging issues.  
Both sides will make efforts to increase two-way trade volume to US$ 4 billion and UK FDI in Vietnam to US$ 3 billion by 2013.

4. Sustainable socio-economic development cooperation
The UK welcomes and highly appreciates Vietnam’s achievements on the reduction in poverty and fulfilment of MDGs where Vietnam is leading by example.    
In the context of the 2006-2015 Development Partnership Arrangement between the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam and the Department for International Development of the UK, the UK will support Vietnam in tackling remaining poverty challenges and achieving the Millenium Development Goals, focussing particularly on primary education, HIV/AIDS and sanitation, as well as on climate change.
It will also work with Vietnam, bilaterally and via the EU and other development partners, to help create the necessary environment for continued economic growth and prosperity as Vietnam looks to progress beyond Middle Income Status. This will include supporting Vietnam’s integration into the global economic system and spreading the benefits of growth including by fostering innovative private sector approaches.  
Both sides will work together to deal with the challenge of climate change. This will include cooperation in international fora. For its part, the UK commits to support Vietnam’s development of a low-carbon climate-resilient growth strategy, the integration of adaptation best practices into Vietnam’s major investments and access by Vietnam to international climate financing.
Both sides commit to the fight against corruption. Both sides will share experiences in this respect and consider support to efforts aimed at bolstering the fight against corruption. Both sides decided to work together to further good governance,  rule of law, accountability and transparency issues, and sharing experiences on economic policy making, including transparent and independent data publication and working together on legal and judicial issues of concern.

5. Education, training, science and technology
Both sides welcome the existing educational links between Vietnam and commit to reinforcing them.
The UK commits to supporting the education reform strategies of the Government of Vietnam in the areas of primary, higher and further education. Development assistance will support efforts to improve access to, and quality of, primary education in poor, disadvantaged communities.
Both sides commit to increase and strengthen the number and range of joint education programmes between the two countries at governmental and institutional level under the coordination of related government agencies and organizations. Both sides will encourage more university links, and private sector initiatives aimed at bringing UK educational opportunities which meet international standards to Vietnam
Both sides commit to the development of a state university in Danang which meets international standards in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding  signed earlier in 2010. In this regard, the UK reiterates the readiness of the British Council and a consortium of top class UK universities to provide academic input, and to undertake a feasibility study on the project. Both sides welcome the opening of the British University in Hanoi.
The UK commits to supporting efforts to increase English language proficiency, through support for English teacher development and Vietnam’s 2020 English language strategy.
Both sides will look to build upon the Memorandum of Understanding  between the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam and the British Council to support Vietnam’s national vocational education strategy.
Vietnam and the UK commit to increase the number of Vietnamese students coming to the UK for higher education and to explore opportunities for more UK students to come to Vietnam for part of their tertiary education.
Both sides welcome the bilateral cooperation for the training of Vietnamese administrators under the framework of Programme 165 and look to expand the scope of this programme over the coming years.
Both sides recognise the important role that science and innovation can play in developing the country. They commit to deliver an Action Plan for increased cooperation in this respect, covering areas such as health and infectious diseases, climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and agricultural sciences and technology. They warmly welcome plans for cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. They will look to strengthen research networks involving scientists from the two countries including dissemination of opportunities under EU funding programmes and exchange of policy ideas.

6. Security and Defence
Both sides commit to increase exchanges of delegations at Ministerial and Senior officials’ level in order to further enhance bilateral cooperation on various issues of common interest.
Both sides will look to enhance cooperation in the area of serious and organised crime, such as immigration crime (both human trafficking and people smuggling), money laundering, drugs, e-crime, wild-life/conservation crime. Both sides will ensure the successful operation of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on criminal matters, the Prisoner Transfer Agreement, Memorandums of Understanding  and related agreements on migration and combating and preventing organized crimes.
Both sides welcome the intensified cooperation in the area of illegal immigration. They propose to hold annual migration talks at senior official level enabling both sides to review cooperation and to discuss new challenges.
Both sides welcome the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation.  
7. People to people links
Both sides decide to help create conditions to promote a greater understanding between the peoples of both countries.
They will encourage networks to consolidate links and collaboration in the fields of art and culture, sport, the media, scientific research and tourism. Both sides welcome efforts to promote Vietnamese and UK art, culture and tourism in each country, including holding of exhibitions, culture performance, tourism fairs.
The UK and Vietnam value the contribution of the Vietnamese community in the UK to the social and economic development of the UK and Vietnam, and in promoting friendship and cooperation between the two countries. They commit to a regular dialogue with the representatives of the community to foster cooperation and greater understanding.
Both sides look forward to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2013. They commit to encouraging appropriate initiatives to mark the occasion.
Both sides welcome the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding  on Information and communication to promote cooperation and experience sharing in this area. The UK and Vietnam will work to encourage greater media exchanges and promote greater access for each other’s media organisations. In this respect, the UK welcomes the Vietnamese support in facilitating the Financial Times to open a bureau in Hanoi.
Both sides will look to use important events to promote mutual understanding between their societies, in particular through sports and tourism. The UK and Vietnam will work together to promote the London 2012 Olympic Games. Vietnam will support the UK’s “See Britain” campaign which aims at promoting the UK as open, connected, dynamic and creative country. The UK will stand ready to assist the Vietnamese Olympic and Paralympic Team where appropriate including the establishing links with sporting partners in the UK.
On the basis of this Joint Declaration, both sides commit to draw up joint action plans for delivery by November of each year.

8. Final Clauses
This Declaration may be amended at any time by the mutual written consent of both sides. This Declaration will come into effect upon signature by both sides and will remain in effect until terminated by either side giving six months written notice.
Signed in duplicate in London on the 8th September 2010 in the Vietnamese and English languages, both texts having equally validity.