VietNamNet Bridge – Germany would strongly support Viet Nam's efforts to increase co-operation with the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung last Thursday, the German leader said she would do her best to help the Viet Nam-EU Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) gain approval by the EU.

The agreement, completed last year following two-years of negotiations, is expected to provide a framework for stronger co-operation in many areas between Viet Nam and European countries.

Merkel also promised her support so that negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and the EU could get started.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said he was pleased with the multifaceted co-operation between Viet Nam and Germany, the country's biggest EU trade partner.

Two-way trade volume, which reached more than US$4.1 billion last year, has increased by about 15 per cent year-on-year.

The two Government leaders discussed measures to put on track major co-operation projects, including metro route number 2 and the Viet Nam-Germany University, both in HCM City.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister said he was happy that Germany continued to offer official development assistance (ODA) to Viet Nam, despite the credit crunch in Europe.

A visit to Viet Nam by the German Chancellor has been scheduled for October this year.

More than 200 German enterprises, including world giants, operate in the Vietnamese market.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News