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British Embassy Vietname
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BBGV Membership Directory – 2009
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Message from the British Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Mark Kent.
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It’s a pleasure to welcome you to the latest edition of the British Business Group in Vietnam membership directory.
2008 was a landmark year for the UK-Vietnam trade relationship. Vietnam’s Prime Minister, HE Nguyen Tan Dung made his first visit to the UK in March 2008, and The Rt Hon John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform visited Vietnam in June. These two visits were followed in September 2008 by a second visit to Vietnam by His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KG, in his capacity as the UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. All three visits played a key role in developing and strengthening our trade relationship and helped a good number of BBGV member companies to further their objectives in Vietnam.
I am very grateful to the BBGV for its support for these visits and for the role it plays in alerting me to issues that affect British business in Vietnam. In my first few months here I have been impressed by the BBGV’s level of engagement with the British Embassy and the British Consulate. I am very keen to ensure that this continues, particularly as we engage more proactively and frequently at a government to government level to reduce barriers to trade and investment. I urge you to keep in touch with us so we can better represent you.
The BBGV also plays an important role in enabling British companies and businessmen to keep in touch with each other. I have been impressed by the number and variety of events that the BBGV organises and I plan to join more of these and to meet more BBGV members over the coming year.
I would like to thank Debbie Clarke for her great work during her time as Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City. She has been invaluable in steering me through such a busy first year, and I will miss her knowledge, contacts and commitment. I am confident though that her replacement, Tim Brownbill, will prove equal to the challenge of maintaining the high standards set by Debbie.
This year promises to be just as busy as my first in Vietnam. A number of high-level visitors and trade delegations to Vietnam are expected, reflecting the UK’s very real and growing interest in this market. I look forward to working with the BBGV on these initiatives and to seeing BBGV membership grow as more British companies set up operations in country.
British Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Mark Kent
January 2009
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