Delegates in a group photo (Source: VNA) At a working session with Permanent Secretary atSenate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises of Berlin, MichaelBiel, and representatives of city departments on November 28, Tuyen affirmedthat the Vietnam-Germany relationship is developing across spheres.
Germany is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner in the EU,while Vietnam is the largest trade partner of Germany in Southeast Asia, andthe sixth biggest in Asia, she said, recalling the official visit to Vietnam byGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this month.
Regarding cooperation between the two capital cities,the official said Berlin enterprises are running 79 projects worth 253.3million USD in Hanoi, mainly in science-technology, retail, processing andmanufacturing, and information and telecommunications.
Meanwhile, Hanoi businesses export different staplesto Berlin and Germany as well, including rice and fishery products.
Districts of Hanoi and Berlin have also establishedcooperation such as Hoang Mai - Marzahn and Hoan Kiem – Lichtenberg in thefields of education-training, trade and especially tourism, according to theofficial.
The two sides agreed to step up exchanges and bolstercollaboration in the areas in which both are interested and have strengths likeeconomy-trade, education-training, health care and tourism.
Tuyen expressed her hope for further cooperation fromBerlin to enhance investment promotion and business connectivity, saying thetwo sides should launch more cooperation programmes in education.
In the field of commerce, she suggested Berlin supportHanoi small and medium-sized enterprises in utilising the EU-Vietnam Free TradeAgreement (EVFTA) to access the EU and Germany, while importing more Hanoiproducts like rice, garments-textiles and footwear.
For his part, Biel affirmed that Berlin alwaysattaches importance to maintaining and expanding its friendship and cooperationwith Hanoi across spheres, and noted his hope that the Hanoi delegation’s visitwill open up new cooperation opportunities and contribute to strengthening thefriendship between their authorities and people and deepening theVietnam-Germany strategic partnership.
During their stay in Germany, the delegation met AndreasJahn, member of the Federal Executive Board of the German Association for Smalland Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW).
Tuyen stressed that economic cooperation has been animportant pillar of the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership, and called onthe German side to help with business connectivity to accelerate Hanoi exportsto the EU.
Jahn said with 960,000 member businesses in Germanyand 75 representative offices worldwide, including Hanoi, the BVMW is veryinterested in the Southeast Asian market, including Vietnam.
He suggested Tuyen propose the Vietnamese Governmentopen a direct air route between Hanoi and Berlin./.
VNA
