FRANKFURT — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany’s Hessen state on the morning of Wednesday (local time), beginning his trip to Germany for a working visit and attendance at the G20 Summit at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

The Vietnamese PM and his entourage were welcomed at the airport by Hessen State Minister for Science and Arts Boris Rhein and other officials of Hessen, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Đoàn Xuân Hưng and Consul General in Frankfurt Nguyễn Hồng Lĩnh, among others. 

He is scheduled to meet Deputy Governor and Minister for Economic Affairs of Rheiland-Pfalz State, Volker Wissing; President of the Federal Council and Governor of Rheiland-Pfalz State, Malu Dreyer; Speaker of the Hessen State Parliament Nobert Kartmann; and Hessen Governor Volker Bouffler. 

He will visit the Vietnamese Consulate General in Frankfurt. 

The G20 Summit will take place on July 7-8 under the theme “Shaping an Interconnected World”. Its three focuses are ensuring stability, improving viability for the future and accepting responsibility. 

As the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in 2017, Việt Nam is invited to attend meetings within the G20 framework this year, participate in all debate sessions of the G20 Summit and give opinions on the draft joint statement of the event. 

Việt Nam and Germany set up diplomatic ties on September 23, 1975. Since then, bilateral friendship and co-operation have been developing in an effective and comprehensive manner. 

Germany has been one of the most important European partners of Việt Nam for many years. Mutual trust and understanding have been enhanced through the maintenance of high-level delegations and co-operation mechanisms. 

In a trip to Việt Nam by Chancellor Angela Merkel in October 2011, the two countries signed the Hà Nội Joint Statement on setting up a strategic partnership. Germany is currently the biggest trade partner of Việt Nam in Europe, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of Việt Nam’s total exports to the EU. It is also an important gateway for Vietnamese goods to other markets in Europe. — VNS