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PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hamburg, July 6, 2017 - Photo: VNA
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PM Phuc thanked his German counterpart for inviting Viet Nam to join the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit.
Chancellor Angela Merkel warmly welcomed the visit of the PM and underlined Germany’s respect for Viet Nam's rising role and status on the international arena. The host leader said she believes that the visit would contribute to spurring the Viet Nam-Germany strategic partnership in various aspects.
Viet Nam attaches extreme importance to the bilateral ties with Germany, one of its leading partners in Europe over the past time, in different areas, including politics, diplomacy, trade-investment, education-training, and science-technology, affirmed PM Phuc.
The two sides were unanimous in maintaining effective mechanisms, including the foreign ministries' strategic management group, the German-Vietnamese Rule of Law Dialogue, working groups in economics-investment, science-technology with a view to deploying the Viet Nam-Germany strategic action plan and consolidating mutual understanding.
Both sides agreed to maintain reciprocal visits at all levels and support each other at multilateral organizations and forums. The German side pledged to continue supporting Viet Nam to develop ties with the EU and push for the early signing of the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement.
They appreciated the close relations and showed their satisfaction at the trade ties of nearly US$ 9 billion in recent years. So far, Germany was the fifth largest EU investor of Viet Nam with US$ 1.4 billion of FDI.
However, the two Government chiefs said that there were abundant opportunities for further cooperation and agreed to shake hands to generate more chances for the business communities to forge contacts at business forums.
They were satisfied at the positive outcomes of the Viet Nam-Germany Business Forum which was held during the visit of PM Phuc with 28 agreements signed worth €1.5 billion.
PM Phuc recommended Ms. Angela Merkel enable German SMEs to strengthen their niche in Viet Nam, especially in areas which Germany has advantages and Viet Nam has demand, including the auxiliary industries, railways, tourism infrastructure, transport-seaport, renewable energy, food industry, and assembling.
PM Phuc affirmed that Viet Nam will create open and favorable ways for foreign investors, including German players to do long term business here. The Vietnamese Government will offer all possible conditions for the Germany House Project in HCMC to operate in Q3, 2017 and stands ready to talk with the Germany side to handle obstacles in Viet Nam.
The two leaders said they were glad to witness the effective cooperation in education-training, labor, and science-technology.
Regarding security-national defense, the two leaders agreed to support each other in criminal justice and consider a possibility to negotiate an agreement on extradition and an agreement on transfer of sentenced persons in an effort to perfect the legal framework on trans-national crime prevention.
On this occasion, Ms. Angela Merkelsaid she treasured the constructive, potential, and creative role of the overseas Vietnamese community in Germany. They also contributed to cultural diversification and prosperity in the host country and served as a friendly bridge between the two nations.
Regarding international and regional issues of common concern, they approved of peaceful solutions to disputes on the basis of international laws.
As a leading country in the EU, Germany has experience in handling maritime issues. Germany backs freedom of navigation in the East Sea and supports Viet Nam’s stance of taking peaceful solutions to disputes in the East Sea in the spirit of respecting for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC)./.
By Huong Giang
