Britain, Vietnam to upgrade ties as Communist leader visits London

HANOI (Reuters) -Britain is set to upgrade diplomatic ties with Vietnam next week as Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Communist Party chief To Lam in London, according to a schedule seen by Reuters and an official with direct knowledge of the matter.

Ties will be raised to Vietnam's highest tier of a strategic comprehensive partnership, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, matching those with China, Russia, the United States and former colonial ruler France.

Starmer will receive Lam at Downing Street on Wednesday to exchange cooperation documents and issue a joint statement on the upgrade, the schedule drawn up by Vietnamese authorities shows. Plans for a meeting with King Charles await confirmation.

Vietnam's foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Starmer's office declined to comment.

Vietnam's most powerful leader, Lam has taken a central role in shaping foreign policy since becoming party chief last year, an effort previously led by the president and prime minister.

The schedule does not identify the cooperation agreements to be signed. Lam will visit Oxford University on Thursday for the signing of pacts on health and education, the agenda showed.

A strategic comprehensive partnership, up from the current level of strategic partners, usually entails more frequent meetings and closer ties on areas of common interest.

A second person with direct knowledge of the matter said commercial agreements in aviation were also expected during the visit. Both sources sought anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Lam is now in Europe, where he has visited Finland and Bulgaria.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio in Hanoi; Additional reporting by Kate Holton in London; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)