As a leading economy in the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK) has various experience to assist Vietnam in the negotiating process of Vietnam-EU free trade agreement (FTA).

Visiting UK Minister without Portfolio Grant Shapps made the suggestion at the seventh session of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) held in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Tuesday.

Shapps said that the United Kingdom attaches great importance to trade cooperation with Vietnam, adding that the two-way trade turnover between UK and Vietnam in 2013 hit 4.3 billion U.S. dollars, 7.5 percent higher than the set target, reported Vietnam Plus online newspaper, an edition of Vietnam's state-run news agency on Tuesday.

"The UK welcomes Vietnamese companies to invest in the country and we are willing to share experience in developing civil nuclear program and urban planning in Vietnam's capital Hanoi and southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City," Vietnam Plus quoted Shapps as saying.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MoIT) Ho Thi Kim Thoa, for her part, said Vietnam pledges to promote bilateral relations with the UK at all areas mentioned in the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2010 and considered JETCO a mechanism to discuss important economic, trade issues.

Vietnam's major export commodities to the UK included television equipments, mobile phones, coffee, footwear and wood furniture among others.

JETCO was established in 2007 by the Vietnamese and British governments to provide a forum for companies to remove obstacles and barriers in trade and investment that need government-level interference.

Earlier on Monday, while meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Grant Shapps said the UK enterprises are greatly interested in investing in Vietnam and expect Vietnamese government to facilitate British companies in investment activities in areas of architecture, construction, education services as well as machinery manufacturing. Endi

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