President hails growing trade ties, friendship with Germany on visit
President Truong Tan Sang and his German counterpart Joachim Gauck expressed pleasure at the rapid development of the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership at their talks in Berlin on November 25.
President Truong Tan Sang (R) and German counterpart Joachim Gauck inspect the guard of honour in Berlin (Photo: VNA)
Berlin (VNA) – President Truong Tan Sang and his German counterpart Joachim Gauck expressed pleasure at 🦩the rapid development of the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership at 🌳their talks in Berlin on November 25 (local time).
The two State leaders agreed that the two countries have become not only strategic partners but also sincere friends with mutual understanding and respect. They stressed the need to strengthen visit exchanges and implement bilateral cooperative mechanisms in an effective fashion to create new momentum for a stronger strategic partnership in the time ahead.
Host and guest said they are delighted with the progress in bilateral trade and investment ties.
President Truong Tan Sang confirmed that Germany is currently one of the leading partners of Vietnam in Europe in various fields such as trade, science-technology, development cooperation, environment, law, education and vocational training.
Within five years, bilateral trade has almost doubled from 4.1 billion USD in 2010 to 7.8 billion USD in 2014. German investment in Vietnam has increased over 70 percent from 824 million USD in 2010 to 1.4 billion USD currently.
The two sides noted with satisfaction that the cooperation in the field of trade and investment between the two countries continues to make positive progress.
Both nations are enjoying favourable conditions to lift two-way trade to between 15 billion USD and 20 billion USD by 2020 and German investment in Vietnam to 5 billion USD as soon as possible.
They concurred to maintain Germany’s top place among Vietnam’s economic partners, especially when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is to be signed soon, and offer the best possible conditions for their enterprises to promote closer cooperation.
President Truong Tan Sang thanked the German Government for maintaining development aid to Vietnam over the past years, contributing significantly to the achievement of poverty reduction and economic development.
He also applauded the host’s continuing support for Vietnam in the 2015-2017 period, focusing on energy, environment, and vocational training.
The presidents were also pleased by the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in education, science and technology. They agreed to continue to cooperate closely in the fields.
For his part, President Joachim Gauck said he highly appreciated the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Germany to the prosperity of the host country.
The leaders praised the bilateral cooperation at multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations (UN), Asia-Europe (ASEM) Summit, and ASEAN-EU.
They agreed to increase consultations and collaboration in addressing global challenges such as climate change and marine security.
Vietnam supports Germany to enhance relations with ASEAN and vice versa, while Germany backs Vietnam in furthering the rapports with the EU, including the early signing of the EVFTA and the EU’s recognition of Vietnam’s market economy status.
President Truong Tan Sang said Vietnam will continue to closely work with Germany at the UN and support the European country to become a permanent member of an expanded UN Security Council.
Regarding regional and global issues of mutual interest, the two expressed their concerns over the increasing activities of artificial island construction which threatens peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea – home to a major international navigation route connecting trade between Europe and Asia.
The German President underscored the importance of settling disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means and in line with international law.
President Sang hailed German viewpoint in the East Sea issue and proposed Germany continue to raise an active voice in G7 and EU to support Vietnam and ASEAN in settling East Sea disputes via peaceful measures and international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).
Later at a press conference, the two leaders informed local and world press of the outstanding agreements reached during their talks.-VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung described the Vietnam-Germany University project as a “lighthouse” in the two countries’ ties while receiving Minister of Science and the Arts of Germany’s Hessen state.
Vo Tuan Nhan, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Science, Technology and Environment, has expressed hope for more cooperation between Vietnam and Germany in natural resources.
There is great potential for Vietnam and Germany – the 4th largest economy – to strengthen all-round ties, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung told Vietnam News Agency correspondents.
President Truong Tan Sang will visit Germany from November 24-26, at the invitation of German President Joachim Gauck, in order to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to and give top priority to the development of Vietnam–China relations. Vietnam is ready to work with the Chinese Party and State to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and promote the building of the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.
Under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV, President Cuong said, the press has been a steadfast force on the ideological and cultural front, rallying the masses to pursue national aspirations.
NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed the need to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence and smart teaching equipment, innovate teaching and assessment methods, and further improve the quality of formal education.
He also pledged that the NA will promote its ongoing supervision, making sure that every promise must lead to results, and every commitment must bring about real changes.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien welcomed the proposals put forward by the US side and reiterated Vietnam’s request for consideration of key areas of interest, including reciprocal tariff policies and access for Vietnamese key export products to the US market.
Deputy PM Le Thanh Long proposed countries promote shared values, including building trust, sincerity, and solidarity among nations and peoples; fostering cooperation spirit and responsible behaviour as well as upholding international law and the UN Charter; and placing people at the centre and as the goal, the key player, and the driving force of all policies.
The show, together with a grand parade to be held silmutaneously at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the National Day, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA).
In particular, in April 2023, the two sides successfully carried out a joint operation that dismantled a major organised, transnational drug trafficking ring involving both Vietnamese and Cambodian suspects.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is closely coordinating with relevant local agencies to stay informed and provide the utmost support possible for Vietnamese nationals.
The launch of Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, even before the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is considered a testament to President Ho Chi Minh’s strategic foresight and strong belief in the guiding power of the revolutionary media.
New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the region, marked by a high level of political trust, strong and reliable defence and security cooperation, and increasingly open economic, trade, and investment ties.
Party General Secretary To Lam stressed that the Central Public Security Party Committee must be fully aware of the extremely important role of the People's Public Security force in the country's new revolutionary phase, so as to guide each branch and level of the force as the nation undergoes transformation.
Addressing concerns over university education spending, Son explained that as public universities gain greater autonomy, the Ministry of Finance has scaled back recurrent state funding. “Over the past decade, as autonomy has increased, the State's support has steadily declined”, he noted
Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavanh Phomvihane affirmed that the presence of Vietnamese press offices in Laos vividly demonstrates the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, as the press is not only a means of communication but also an important bridge for spreading consciousness about the history, values, and strategic depth of the Laos – Vietnam relationship to the people of both countries and the international community.
The country is willing to participate in collective efforts to promote cooperation and mobilise resources to advance the current priority issues of developing countries, such as trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, making the most of scientific and technological advances for development, and people-to-people exchanges, Hang said.
During the negotiations, the US highly evaluated Vietnam’s goodwill and efforts, affirmed its appreciation for the bilateral relationship, acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and concerns, and considered these an important basis for continuing discussions and moving towards a final agreement.
The Chairman stressed the need for stricter fiscal discipline, faster digital transformation, and more efficient management of State budget revenues and expenditures.
President Truong Tan Sang (R) and German counterpart Joachim Gauck inspect the guard of honour in Berlin (Photo: VNA)
