§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Vietnam. [132841]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien2003 marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Visits to the UK in September by the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Khoan, and four other Vietnamese Ministers are testimony to the growing breadth and depth of relations. We have regular engagement with the Vietnamese Government on a range of issues: development, trade and investment, and education, as well as political issues, including human rights. The UK is a major investor in Vietnam and DFID's aid programme to Vietnam, currently £25 million, is its fastest growing aid programme in the world.