Vietnam will raise efforts together with the United Kingdom (UK) to deepen the two countries’ relations, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has affirmed.

Receiving UK Minister without Portfolio Grant Shapps in Hanoi on January 6, Dam asked the two sides to further intensify economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion.

He also expressed his hope that the UK will back Vietnam’s negotiations of a free trade agreement with the EU and continue to provide official development assistance to Vietnam.

Vietnam wants more UK investment in the education sector, he added.

For his part, Grant Shapps said the UK always attaches importance to developing cooperation with Vietnam and will try its best to implement reached agreements between the two countries.

UK businesses are very interested in investment cooperation in Vietnam and hope the Vietnamese Government will create favourable conditions for them to invest in architecture, construction, educational services and machinery manufacturing in the Southeast Asian country.

He also proposed the two sides strengthen cultural exchange and economic cooperation.

The UK is willing to share its experience with Vietnam so the country can successfully organise the 2019 Asian Games (ASIAD), contributing to intensifying friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations, he added.-VNA