Deputy Prime Minister andForeign Minister Phạm Bình Minh meets with Vice President of the German Bundestag (Parliament) Hans-Peter Friedrich in Berlin.— VNA/VNS Photo

BERLIN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh has affirmed that Việt Nam treasures its strategic partnership with Germany - a leading partner of Việt Nam in Europe.

During a meeting with Vice President of the German Bundestag (Parliament) Hans-Peter Friedrich in Berlin, Minh lauded the effective co-operation between the Vietnamese and German legislatures within bilateral and multilateral frameworks as well as the exchange of high-level visits to raise mutual understanding about legislation and supervision.

Hailing the Bundestag and the German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Bundestag for monitoring the East Sea situation, he proposed Germany continue supporting Việt Nam and ASEAN’s legitimate stance on the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, refraining from use of force, full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea towards early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Minh took this occasion to suggest the Bundestag continue supporting the provision of official development assistance (ODA) for Việt Nam.

Friedrich, for his part, expressed satisfaction with growing ties between the two law-making agencies.

The two officials highlighted the importance of the European Union-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and agreed to prompt the EU to soon sign and approve the deal.

They also shared the important role of multilateral mechanisms and respect for international law in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

During a working session on Wednesday with German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier, Minh lauded Germany as the top trade partner of Việt Nam in the EU and welcomed German investors to his country.

He highlighted huge potential of German investment in Việt Nam, which stands at US$1.97 billion at present.

Minh thanked the German government for providing Việt Nam with ODA over the years, affirming that Germany’s ODA-funded projects have made important contributions to Việt Nam’s development.

The Vietnamese official also sought the European country’s assistance in vocational training, climate change adaptation, waste treatment and projects for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Altmaier noted the potential of bilateral economic, trade and investment ties and Việt Nam’s position in regional and global economic connectivity. He vowed to work with Việt Nam on ODA-funded projects.

He said the Deutsches Haus (German House) in HCM City will soon be inaugurated and lauded Vietnamese nurses who were sent to Germany under a joint nurse training project.

The minister pledged to continue assisting Việt Nam in vocational training projects and wished to increase the number of skilled Vietnamese workers in Germany in the near future.

He expressed his interest in establishing the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Việt Nam, considering it an effective bridge between the two countries’ business communities.

Both sides agreed to boost two-way trade as Việt Nam and the EU are about to sign the EVFTA. The German side also promised to step up the signing of the deal.

To encourage investment by German small and medium-sized enterprises in Việt Nam, especially in fields of Germany’s strength, they stressed the need to facilitate the exchange of visits, especially among ministries and businesses joining exhibitions and fairs. — VNS