Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyễn Đắc Thành in an interview with Vietnam News Agency. — VNA/VNS Photo

BERLIN — Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyễn Đắc Thành highlighted milestones and strides in the five-decade relationship between the two countries in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Berlin, ahead of the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties on September 23.

The foundation of bilateral ties rests on decades of unique people-to-people exchanges. From President Hồ Chí Minh’s time in Berlin in the early 20th century to the mid-century influx of Vietnamese officials, engineers, students and workers in Germany, citizens of both nations have become cultural bridges and deepened mutual understanding between the two, according to the ambassador.

In terms of diplomacy, politics and security, the 2011 Hà Nội Declaration on the establishment of the Việt Nam–Germany Strategic Partnership paved the way for frequent high-level visits, ministry exchanges and local-level engagements. Party-to-party and people-to-people diplomacy have deepened, with the Communist Party of Vietnam holding high-level dialogues with both the Social Democratic Party and the Left Party of Germany.

National defence and security cooperation has made notable strides, becoming a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership amid rising global geopolitical challenges. In November 2022, the two defence ministries signed a cooperation agreement, setting a comprehensive framework for the exchange of delegations, strategic sharing, training, military medicine and peacekeeping.

Both sides share a common vision on multilateralism, maintaining a rules-based order and upholding international law, the United Nations Charter and its principles.

As for economic and trade ties, Germany ranks as Việt Nam's top trade partner in the European Union (EU) and its 12th globally, with two-way trade doubling from US$5.6 billion in 2011 to $11.1 billion in 2024. As Việt Nam's fourth largest European investor, Germany sees the Southeast Asian nation as a key destination for supply chain diversification. German enterprises are increasingly interested in Việt Nam's investment climate to avoid overreliance on a single market.

Judicial, scientific, educational, healthcare, socio-cultural and tourism ties also continue to yield results. Germany ranks among Việt Nam's top 10 tourism markets, with German visitors benefitting from a 45-day visa waiver since 2023. The Vietnamese community, numbering several hundred thousand in Germany, remains a vital link in bilateral relations.

"A key advantage in Việt Nam–Germany ties is that cooperation initiatives align with the policy orientations of both sides, serving the shared interests of their people, businesses and localities," Thành noted.

Looking ahead, he saw vast potential in trade, investment, innovation and science and technology as Việt Nam gears up for a new growth phase and Germany’s coalition government prioritises economic issues. Both countries are pushing for swift ratification of the EU–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to boost momentum, according to the ambassador.

Vietnamese firms should leverage the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in agriculture, apparel and electronics, while German investors eye opportunities in digital transformation, energy transition, financial centres and infrastructure projects such as high-speed rail, airports and energy.

The two nations have also pledged to cooperate in environmental protection and sustainable development, scaling up renewable energy, water resource management and biodiversity projects. Labour cooperation and vocational training are also expanding to meet German demand for skilled workers.

Both nations have coordinated a series of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in their capitals since early 2025. Recent celebrations in Berlin marked Việt Nam's 80th National Day and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties. A German Festival is also planned for October this year at Hà Nội's iconic Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

Việt Nam welcomes visits by German government leaders as well as foreign ministry and local officials. The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany also looks forward to hosting a high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese Government on an official visit to Germany later this year to reaffirm the two governments’ political commitment to elevating the strategic partnership and meeting the expectations of German businesses operating in Việt Nam.

Asked about key focuses of bilateral cooperation in 2025 and beyond, Thanh underscored intensified contacts and exchanges across Party, State, parliamentary and people-to-people channels, with a focus on making science, technology and innovation a new pillar of the Strategic Partnership.

He stressed the need to leverage existing cooperation mechanisms to tap strengths and favourable conditions so that the Việt Nam–Germany Strategic Partnership best serves the governments and peoples of both countries, contributing to peace, prosperity, sustainable development and innovation.

In terms of necessary steps to further develop bilateral ties, he suggested maintaining and setting up regular dialogue mechanisms at various levels to track the progress of agreements. New dialogue frameworks could also be considered to adapt to rapid global changes.

The diplomat also proposed increased cooperation at multilateral forums to address global challenges and maintain peace, security and sustainable development, stronger coordination in promising areas such as information technology, artificial intelligence, digital economy, green economy and circular economy, as well as deeper business-to-business connectivity through forums, trade fairs and bilateral investment promotion events to better tap opportunities and complementarities.

Other steps include accelerating the signing of trade, investment and cooperation agreements in multiple sectors and scaling up cultural and people-to-people exchanges through festivals, exhibitions and art events to showcase each country’s cultural identity, such as Việt Nam Day in Germany. — VNS