The Duke of York visits Vietnam, 8 to 10 September 2008

His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, KG, The UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, today begins a 3-day official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in support of UK Trade and Investment. During visits to Hanoi and to Ho Chi Minh City, the Duke of York will meet Government leaders, British and Vietnamese business leaders, and members of the British community and Vietnamese public.

In Hanoi, the Duke will attend a lunch hosted by Deputy Prime Minister HE Mr Pham Gia Khiem. He will meet a number of UK companies, including International Power plc and Rolls Royce, as well as Vietnamese companies such as Vinashin and Bao Viet. He will attend the launch of the British University. He will also launch Standard Chartered Bank’s new Internet Banking service. His Royal Highness will be guest of honour at a reception hosted by the British Embassy to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam. The Duke of York will also attend a dinner with UK companies in the construction and consulting engineering sector.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Duke will meet Prime Minister HE Mr Nguyen Tan Dung and the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, HE Mr Le Hoang Quan. The Duke of York will open the new, expanded office of Premier Oil Vietnam, meet BP, and Hongkong Land, one of the Jardine Matheson Group of companies in Vietnam.  He will launch Bell Vietnam’s International Foundation in Business course for UK universities, and will  attend the award of Local Incorporation licences to HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank. The Duke of York will also meet representatives of UK companies in the financial and legal services sector over a dinner on the same day. The following day The Duke of York will open the Renaissance International School Saigon, visit the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and lunch with representatives of a number of Vietnamese companies.

The Duke of York’s visit to Vietnam aims to raise the UK’s profile as a major trading and investment partner for Vietnam, highlight further investment opportunities for British companies in Vietnam, and encourage Vietnam to regard the UK as a main business gateway into Europe. British companies are already among the largest EU investors in Vietnam with total investment worth around US$1.9 billion in 105 projects, and bilateral trade is worth over US$133.7 million in 2007.