German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) and Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyễn Đắc Thành at the ceremony at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyễn Đắc Thành presented his letter of credence to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a ceremony held at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Wednesday (local time).

At the reception following the ceremony, President Steinmeier warmly congratulated Thành on his new post. He appreciated the greetings and best wishes from Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, President Lương Cường, and other leaders of Việt Nam. On this occasion, he extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam on the 80th anniversary of the country’s National Day.

Thành asked the President to convey Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s congratulations to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the initial achievements of his coalition government during its first 100 days in office.

President Steinmeier recalled with appreciation the warm and thoughtful welcome he received during his state visit to Việt Nam in January 2024. He expressed satisfaction with the positive results of bilateral cooperation across multiple areas, including trade, investment, defence, education, health care, and labour cooperation.

For his part, the ambassador thanked the German Government, people and, particularly, the Federal Foreign Office for supporting the Vietnamese Embassy in Berlin and the Vietnamese community in Germany.

He proposed the President to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate successfully and contribute to the local society, thereby serving as a bridge between the two countries.

Thành also shared that a German festival (Deutschlandfest) is scheduled to take place around Hoàn Kiếm Lake in Hà Nội this October, and that Việt Nam welcomes visits by German Government leaders, officials, and local authorities.

Steinmeier agreed that both sides should maintain high-level exchanges, including an upcoming visit by German federal and local leaders to Việt Nam to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He proposed that the two countries work closely to carry out their agreed plan of high-level mutual visits for this year.

The Vietnamese diplomat reaffirmed that Việt Nam attaches great importance to relations with Germany, pledging efforts to strengthen friendship and cooperation during his tenure.

Emphasising Việt Nam’s commitment to its comprehensive partnership and cooperation with the European Union, he called on Germany to help accelerate the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and advocate the removal of the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning over illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on Vietnamese seafood.

The ambassador voiced hope that both sides will continue to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), facilitate access for Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, to the German market, and maintain close coordination at international forums such as the United Nations and the ASEAN-EU cooperation. — VNA/VNS