Vietnam and Germany hold enormous potential and opportunities to embrace bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, high technology, processing, energy and environment.

President Truong Tan Sang was speaking at a business forum in Frankfurt – the largest city in German state of Hessen on November 26 with the engagement of over 30 Vietnamese businesses and nearly a hundred of German firms.

The President said Vietnam hopes to further deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries across the fields, particularly in the economic domain.

For years, Germany has been a major trade partner of Vietnam in the EU, comprising of nearly 20% of the country’s exports to the union, he said, raising the fact that German firms, encompassing leading ones, have registered a total investment capital of about US$1.4 billion in Vietnam.

Additionally, the 125,000-strong Vietnamese community in Germany along with some 100,000 Vietnamese speaking German in Vietnam is the solid foundation for the two nations to drive their economic, cultural, and social affiliation forward, he noted.

President Truong Tan Sang also highlighted the significant achievements that Vietnam has gained over 30 years of “doi moi” (reform) and confirmed the Vietnamese Government will further improve the investment climate to enable foreign investors, including those from Germany, to do long-term business in Vietnam.

Particularly, the upcoming establishment of the ASEAN Community along with the conclusion of negations of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (VEFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will open up new opportunities for foreign investors and improve Vietnam’s business climate and competitive edge in the region, he said.

Businesses of the two countries are expected to grasp such brilliant opportunities and play a crucial role in propelling the bilateral economic cooperative ties forward, contributing actively to the development of the Vietnam-German strategic partnership, he added.

At the forum, German companies evaluated Vietnam as a young economy with abundant human resources and stable macroeconomic and socio-political situation.

Scores of German leading groups regarded Vietnam as one of the key markets in their investment strategies in Asia.

Businesses from the European country spoke of the Vietnamese Government’s efforts in improving businesses environment, including the implementation of the revised Law on Investment in addition to improving infrastructure, developing support industry, and increasing human resources training.

The same day, President Truong Tan Sang met with leaders of Germany’s leading groups such as Siemens, Messer, Braun, and Bombardier to promote their investment in Vietnam.

President Sang visit in German media spotlight

Major German newspapers covered the first State-level visit to Germany by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang from November 24-26.

The Neues Deutschland (New Germany) on November 24 carried an article by Dieter D.Pries who highlighted the visit as a significant event to mark the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam-Germany diplomatic ties in 2015.

He said Germany evaluates Vietnam as one of the most dynamic and friendliest economies to foreign investors in Southeast Asia.

He also extolled Vietnam’s economic achievements over the past time, citing the rate of people living under the poverty line that reduced from over 40 percent to below 10 percent at present and the economic growth that is forecast to reach 6.5 percent in 2015.

The writer held that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will be a driving force for Vietnam’s economy, with Germany remaining a key trade partner of the Southeast Asian country in the EU.

The two countries’ economic ties are also reflected clearly by the author, who referred to the Vietnam-Germany University and other bilateral cooperation plans as vivid demonstrations of the pragmatic development of the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership.

The article quoted President Truong Tan Sang as saying that vocational training is expected to be one of the cooperation highlights between Vietnam and Germany in the coming time.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the author said the bilateral strategic partnership would become even deeper if Germany and the EU in general made more active contributions to the settlement of disputes via peaceful means.

Meanwhile, the Tagesspiegel newspaper on November 25 ran a story featuring the German side’s warm treatment to the Vietnamese State leader as well as its sentiments toward Vietnam – a leading partner of Germany in Southeast Asia.

The article cited German President Joachim Gauck as saying that Vietnam will continue to gain more achievements in the “doi moi” (renewal) process.

The German Presseportal, German press agency (DPA), and the Finanznachrichten also posted stories featuring the significant meaning of the visit.

President’s visit opens new horizon in Vietnam-Germany partnership

The freshly concluded visit to Germany by Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang has opened up new prospects for the cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh made the statement in a press interview, highlighting the significance and outcomes of the first State-level visit by a Vietnamese president to Germany since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1975.

The visit from November 24 to 26 sought to intensify the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany, especially in trade-investment, science-technology and education-training, the Deputy PM said.

He noted that the President had busy schedules during their stay in Berlin. He held talks with German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel, greeted German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German parliament’s Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group with ASEAN, and talked at the Koerber Institute.

The State leader later had a working session with Minister-President of the German State of Hessen Volker Bouffier and attended the Vietnam-Germany Business Forum.

“With such important events, the state visit by President Truong Tan Sang has wrapped up successfully, as it helps promote the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership and spread out a new phrase of cooperation in strong fields,” Deputy PM Minh said.

Primarily, the visit has consolidated the political trust between top leaders of the two countries.

The German President and Chancellor reiterated that Germany wants to strengthen its strategic partnership with Vietnam across all fields and will help the ASEAN-member state enhance comprehensive cooperation with the EU, including the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The European country will continue to coordinate with Vietnam at regional and international forums, especially the UN, Asia-Europe (ASEM) Summit and ASEAN-EU.

Secondly, the visit has created a strong push to propel trade and investment relations forward – a key pillar in the countries’ strategic partnership.

Germany has been one of the top trade partners of Vietnam in the EU for years, comprising nearly 20 percent of the country’s exports to the union.

Vietnamese and German leaders agreed that the two countries have favourable environment and conditions to boost trade-investment cooperation twice or three times in anticipation of the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

They concurred to facilitate investment in the fields of their strength such as the processing industry, electronics, renewable energy, infrastructure, consumption products and agro-fisheries.

Thirdly, the visit enables the two countries to expand cooperation in education-training, science-technology and labour.

The leaders agreed to develop the Vietnam – Germany University into a leading research and training center in Vietnam, meeting international standards. They will also facilitate the teaching of German and Vietnamese in the respective countries, and study the construction of high-quality vocational training centers in Vietnam.

The visit demonstrates Vietnam’s proactive role and responsibilities in the international community.

German scholars said they appreciated President Truong Tan Sang’s speech at the Koerber Institute, which highlights Vietnam’s aspiration for a peaceful, stable, cooperative and developing Asia-Pacific region.

He confirmed that the maintenance of peace, stability, security and safety of navigation in the East Sea is the common concern and benefit of insiders and outsiders.

German leaders and experts expressed their concerns over the increasing reclamation of artificial islands in the East Sea and supported Vietnam’s viewpoint to address any disputes through peaceful means and in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Another highlight of the visit was the meetings between President Truong Tan Sang, German friends and the Vietnamese community in Germany, which illustrates Vietnam’s national unity policy and the country’s sentiments toward German friends who have supported Vietnam.

Last but not least, during the visit, Vietnam and Germany signed six cooperative documents, including an agreement on allowing relatives of members of diplomatic representative agencies to hold paid jobs in the other country; a governmental agreement on science-technology cooperation; a protocol revising and supplementing terms of the 1994 aviation transport agreement; an MoU on forestry cooperation; an MoU on regular dialogues between the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the German Business Association and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam; and a technical service contract on maintaining A320 aircraft engines between Vietjet Air and Lufthansa Group.

Vietnam sticks to productive ties with Hessen State

President Truong Tan Sang has affirmed the role and position of the German State of Hessen in the thriving bilateral relations between Vietnam and Germany.

The leader made the affirmation at his meeting with Minister-President of the State of Hessen Volker Bouffier on November 26 as part of his two-day State visit to Germany.

Vietnam always treasures cooperation with Hessen State, the President said, expressing his delight at the active progresses in cooperative ties between the two sides over the past time, especially in economy, trade-investment, education-training, legal and judicial affiliation, and cultural exchange.

He suggested the Hessen authorities continue supporting and encouraging their firms to run business in Vietnam while helping Vietnamese enterprises operate fruitfully in the State, contributing to enhancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

President Truong Tan Sang pledged optimal conditions for businesses from Germany in general and the State of Hessen in particular to operate in Vietnam in an effective, long-term and stable fashion.

He also voiced his back for the two countries’ localities to exchange experience in areas that they have strengths.

Speaking highly of Hessen State’s assistance for Vietnam through the Vietnam-Germany University project, the President stressed science and education-training are always priorities in national decisions and policies.

The leader proposed the German State render more support for Vietnam to implement next phases of the project, especially in the training of lecturers.

Echoing President Truong Tan Sang’s views, Volker Bouffier described the project as a symbol of the fruitful multi-faceted relations between the two countries.

Apart from education-training, Hessen State is keen to join hands with Vietnam in other fields like cosmetics and mechanics, the Minister-President noted.

He called on the two sides to strengthen their collaboration and increase the sharing of experience and delegations at all levels, thus contributing to fostering the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership.

The same day, President Truong Tan Sang held a meeting with Speaker of the Hessen State Parliament Norbert Kartmann.

Hailing the State leaders’ role and parliamentarians’ support for German’s and Hessen’s relations with Vietnam, the President conveyed his wish that they will back the legislative ties between Hessen and Vietnam.

For his part, Nobert Kartmann highlighted Vietnam’s substantial potential in which German businesses, including those from Hessen State, are interested.

After all, he said, a number of Hessen State’s major businesses are running smoothly in the Southeast Asian nation.

Expressing his confidence in the fine development of relations between the two countries in the time ahead that match each side’s potential and advantages, the host promised that Hessen State will contribute more constructively to the bilateral ties.

During his stay in Germany, President Truong Tan Sang visited a vocational training centre of the OPEL auto manufacturing group, where the leader said he was impressed by its modern scale and effective operation.

The Vietnamese Government has charted a vocational training development strategy with the aim of meeting requirements of regional international labour markets in terms of both quality and quantity, he said.

The President voiced his hope that the group will assist Vietnam in training engineers and skilled workers, contributing to spurring the development of the country’s auto and spare parts industries in the coming time.

Later the same day, President Truong Tan Sang and his encourage left the State of Hessen for Hanoi, successfully wrapping up his State visit to Germany.

President talks peace, development at German Koerber Institute

The Asia-Pacific should have a comprehensive and effective security structure built upon the fundamental principles of international law, President Truong Tan Sang said in his speech delivered at the Koerber Institute in Berlin, Germany on November 26.

He urged regional countries to respect each other’s independence, sovereignty and interests while taking responsible action and settling disputes and territorial conflicts, including the East Sea issue, by peaceful means via dialogues and in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Vietnam steadfastly pursues foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation, being a friend, a trustworthy partner of all countries and a responsible member of the international community, he said.

Vietnam welcomes all policies beneficial to peace, security and development in the Asia-Pacific, consistently advocates against forming coalition to sabotage other countries and resolutely fight to defend its legitimate interests, he stressed.

He hailed Germany for playing a key role in the global security and development and spoke highly of the Koerber Institute’s contributions to the world’s peace, cooperation and understanding during its 56-year existence.

The leader asked parliamentarians, experts, researchers to continue fostering the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership, and the ASEAN-EU relationship by making initiatives and studies in the common interests of humanity, including peace, stability and cooperation across the Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Participants, including parliamentarians and government, research institute, and economic group experts, discussed the geographical strategic significance of the Asia-Pacific and the role of the Asia-Europe relationship in the world political and development map.

President Truong Tan Sang is currently on a two-day State visit to Germany from November 24-26.-

VNA