UK Deepens Commitment to ASEAN-UK Economic Relations in Vientiane

The UK’s Senior Economic Official to ASEAN, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Asia Pacific Martin Kent, visited Vientiane, Laos to demonstrate the UK’s continued and deepening economic commitment to ASEAN.

The UK-ASEAN trade relationship is already worth nearly £50bn. The UK is a top 10 investor in ASEAN, with over £25bn of foreign direct investment in 2021. Businesses in ASEAN, in turn, invested £14.8bn in the UK in 2021.

Across two days, HMTC Kent co-chaired the ASEAN-UK Senior Economic Officials meeting with Saysana Sayakone, Director General for Foreign Trade Policy of Laos’ Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and held bilateral meetings with ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners.