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Germany wants to strengthen economic relations with Vietnam
Vietnam and Germany have developed friendship and cooperation in all fields, especially in the fields of human resources education and training, and judiciary cooperation after Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Germany in March 2008.
Germany’s Economics and Technology Minister Michael Glos made the statement at a meeting with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Germany, emphasizing that Germany wants to strengthen economic relations with Vietnam and considers the country as one of its five most important trade partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). While 12 EU nations want to impose tariffs on Vietnam’s leather footwear exports, Germany is one of 15 nations which have supported the termination of imposing the tariffs.
In 2008, two-way trade turnover reached US$4.9 billion, up 8.5 percent compared to last year’s figure. Vietnam’s exports to Germany increased by 24-25 percent and are expected to rise 20 percent in 2009 due to Germany’s economic downturn.
Germany ranks the 19th among nations and territories investing in Vietnam. Its largest project in Vietnam is the construction of a metro in Ho Chi Minh City. After Vietnam became a World Trade Organisation member, many Germany’s economic groups and companies conducted market surveys in Vietnam to promote trade and seek business opportunities.
In the field of education and training, Germany carried out a plan to help Vietnam train 85 PhD holders in 2008. A project for the construction of the Vietnam-German University in HCM city was inaugurated and put into operation on September 10. Both sides are discussing the construction of a vocational training school in Vietnam.
Vietnam and Germany have agreed that 2010 will be “the year of relations” between the two countries.
VOV
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