First German naval ship to visit Vietnam docks in HCMC

“The visit shows the high importance Germany attaches to the partnership with Vietnam, and it will strengthen the partnership,” a German Embassy press release said.

The ship will hold joint exercises with the Vietnamese Navy after Jan 9. After the end of its visit, Bayern will implement a PASSEX (Passing Exercise) exercise with the Vietnamese Navy. Partial exercises on communication, navigation, tactical formation sailing and rescue exercises could be carried out.

German naval frigate Bayern. Photo by @Andrew Langholf/U.S. Navy/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire

German Ambassador Guido Hildner said the embassy was delighted with the first visit of a German Navy ship to Vietnam. Germany cooperates with Vietnam in numerous fields and security policy is one area among many, he said.

The visit to Vietnam is part of a seven-month training for frigate Bayern in the Indo-Pacific region. After Vietnam, it will go to Sri Lanka and India. Other locations include Pakistan, Australia, Guam, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

German and Vietnamese officials welcome the frigate Bayern at Nha Rong Port in HCMC, January 6, 2022. Photo courtesy of German Embassy

Ambassador Hildner said that with this broad-based voyage of the Bayern through the Indo-Pacific, Germany is taking into account the growing importance of the region.

The voyage is a concrete implementation of the German Indo-Pacific Guidelines of 2020, under which Germany is committed to greater engagement in the region. One of the goals is to strengthen the international rules-based order, he said.

The maritime domain is regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. By sailing the Bayern, Germany is underlining the universal validity of this convention and the importance of freedom of navigation. The passage through the South China Sea is a central part of the voyage, the ambassador said.