The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) convened their sixth dialogue in Berlin on July 3, talking opportunities and challenges in a changing world and Vietnam-Germany-EU cooperation.

Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan (R) and Vice President of the German parliament and SPD member Edelgard Bulmahn

Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan and Vice President of the German parliament Edelgard Bulmahn, an SPD member, co-chaired the dialogue, which was also attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung, and researchers and parliamentarians of the two countries.

The dialogue, part of the parties’ annual cooperation programme, featured three discussions on Asia, Europe and global issues; economic and trade policies of Europe and East Asia, and impacts of the US’s new policy and Brexit on Europe-Vietnam relations; and prospects of Vietnam-EU-Germany relations.

Opinions raised at the event, especially the proposals on measures to boost Vietnam-Germany and Vietnam-EU ties, helped the two parties enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, thus contributing to the two countries’ connections.

Also on July 3, the CPV delegation met with SPD Vice Chairman Thorsten Schafer-Gumbel to discuss the situation of each party and each country, along with global and regional political issues of shared concern.

During their stay in Germany, the delegation will also have working sessions with the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs, agencies for policy research and major universities in Germany, and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. 

It will also meet with Hamburg Mayor and SPD Vice Chairman Olaf Scholz and attend a Germany-Vietnam economic forum, which is part of a visit to the EU nation by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

VNA