German chancellor heads for Vietnam

Vietnam and Germany established diplomatic relations on Sep. 23, 1975.

Germany is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), with total bilateral import-export turnover in the first seven months of the year reaching $7.3 billion, up 18.5% over the same period last year, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Germany is the 17th largest investor out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with a total registered foreign direct investment of $2.3 billion as of January.

Vietnam is Germany’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia and its sixth largest trading partner in Asia. There are currently more than 7,000 Vietnamese students studying in Germany.

During the visit of Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son to Germany in September, local leaders emphasized that Vietnam is an important partner in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Vietnam and Germany still have a lot of potential for cooperation in investment and trade, as well as in areas where Germany has strengths like science and technology, environmental protection, response to climate change, and vocational training and labor.