British Prince William meets with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prince William met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc this afternoon at the Government Office, marking the beginning of a two-day visit focused on combating wildlife trafficking.

Prince William shakes hands with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: Reuters

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of the United Kingdom, at the government headquarters this afternoon, during the Prince's first visit to Vietnam.

The Prime Minister affirmed that economic cooperation is a cornerstone of the cooperative relationship between the two countries and expressed his hope that Prince William would support and promote cooperation and friendship between the two nations.

Regarding education, the Prime Minister proposed that the two countries expand comprehensive cooperation to enable Vietnamese students to access quality education systems, and strengthen cooperation between universities, research centers, and vocational training institutions. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that the UK would continue to support the training of high-quality human resources, the teaching of English in Vietnam, and create favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to study in the UK.

The Prime Minister also wished Prince William success in co-chairing the Hanoi Conference on combating illegal trade in wild animals and plants.

The Prime Minister stated that Vietnam pays special attention to wildlife protection and, in fact, this work has always been implemented comprehensively in the development and improvement of institutions and in the application of legal regulations. The Prime Minister hoped that the UK would continue to support and assist Vietnam in carrying out this task more effectively.

During the meeting, the British Prince expressed his high expectations for this first visit to Vietnam to learn about the country, its people, and the results of efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The Prince affirmed his continued support for promoting bilateral relations, especially in the fields of education and trade.

Regarding the fight to protect other rare animal species from extinction, the British Prince praised Vietnam's efforts in wildlife conservation and suggested that strengthening laws in this fight in Vietnam could serve as a model for other countries to learn from.

The prince emphasized that the fight to protect rare animal species is a transnational, cross-border issue of urgency, and is also the goal of the Hanoi Conference on Combating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking.

Prince William believes that strong government support and decisive action are crucial to ensuring the success of the fight to protect wildlife. This is of great significance in combating and addressing wildlife trafficking, a crime as dangerous as human trafficking.

According to VNA