(VOVworld) Vietnam and the UK agree to strengthen bilateral trade ties. At the meeting of the fifth Vietnam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO 5) in Hanoi yesterday, the two sides discussed measures to lift bilateral trade ties in line with the Strategic Partnership Agreement which was signed in 2010. They stressed that the committee is an important mechanism to consolidate and intensify bilateral economic and trade ties. The two sides agreed to organize working groups’ sessions to deal with procedures to convert the branches of two British banks in Vietnam, HSBC and Standards Chartered, to domestic liability limited banks. They will work closely to develop the public-private model in Vietnam. The next meeting is scheduled for November in London.