The Meaningful Return of a Friend from Europe

This is the second visit of a German President to Vietnam in the history of bilateral relations since German reunification.

President Vo Van Thuong and his wife welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife on January 23. (Photo: Tuan Viet)

The State visit to Vietnam by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife from January 23-24 takes place in the context of the bilateral relationship continuing to deepen and have substantial developments. This is the first foreign visit by the German head of state in 2024 and the first high-level exchange between the two countries in the new year 2024 - towards the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025.

This is the second visit of a German President to Vietnam in the history of bilateral relations since Germany's reunification. Sharing about his third return to the S-shaped country, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that each time he feels like the first time...

For President Frank-Walter Steinmeier personally, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu ​​Quang Minh, this return is an opportunity for him to witness firsthand Germany's "lighthouse" projects in Vietnam, projects that were signed during his visit to Vietnam in 2008 as German Foreign Minister, which have been and are "bearing fruit".

As for Vietnamese tradition, welcoming distinguished guests from afar at the beginning of the new year and right before the 2024 Lunar New Year brings many favorable things and creates new momentum for the Vietnam-Germany relationship in the coming time.

Trusted economic partner

Vietnam-Germany relations have developed strongly over the past five decades, especially since the two countries established a Strategic Partnership. Vietnam is a Global Partner in Germany's Development Cooperation Strategy until 2030. The two sides have maintained regular contacts and delegation exchanges at all levels, especially at high levels, most notably the official visit to Vietnam by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (November 2022).

The two countries closely coordinate at international organizations and multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework, etc. Germany supports Vietnam's stance on the East Sea issue, including the settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling.

As a bright spot in bilateral relations, it is understandable that President Frank-Walter Steinmeier chose economic, trade and investment cooperation as the focus of this visit in the context that Vietnam has become a leading attractive destination for German businesses.

For many consecutive years, Germany has been one of Vietnam's largest trading partners in the European Union (EU) and Vietnam is currently one of Germany's largest trading partners in Southeast Asia. Two-way trade turnover in 2023 reached approximately 12 billion USD, tripling over the past 10 years. Germany is the fourth largest investor among EU countries, ranking 18th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with a total registered capital of nearly 2.7 billion USD and 460 valid investment projects.

During the talks and meetings between the German President and senior leaders of Vietnam, the phrases “pillars of cooperative relations”, “Vietnam – a reliable economic partner”, “leading economic partner”, “leading trade partner”… were repeatedly emphasized by both sides, showing remarkable developments and remarkable achievements in the fields of economic, trade and investment cooperation.

Accompanying President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Vietnam was a large business delegation operating in many different industries, further strengthening the confidence and excitement of German businesses and investors in the destination of Vietnam. Despite global concerns, the AHK World Business Outlook - Autumn 2023 survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (AHK Vietnam) still emphasizes the growing attractiveness of Vietnam for German companies. Of which, 42% of German companies in Vietnam prioritize a production diversification strategy.

This was followed by sales and marketing at 41%, services at 35%, and logistics at 31%, demonstrating a holistic approach to business development. In addition, about 50% of the surveyed companies recognized the growth potential of the Vietnamese market as an important factor when considering investment expansion.

As Mr. Elmar Dutt and Torben Minko - Co-Chairmen of the German Business Association in Vietnam (GBA) commented, "This presence and increased investment not only reflects the confidence of German companies in the Vietnamese market, but also means that Vietnam is considered a promising destination for those interested in expanding their business in Asia".

In addition to economic, trade and investment cooperation, infrastructure construction, sustainable development, renewable energy, etc. will be priorities for bilateral cooperation in the coming time, through development cooperation projects funded by Germany.

In addition to asking Germany to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), Vietnam hopes that Germany will continue to cooperate effectively in implementing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework, of which Germany is a party, so that Vietnam can achieve its emission reduction target as committed at COP 26.

President Vo Van Thuong and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held talks on January 23. (Source: VNA)

Realizing the “lighthouses”

Located at the “corner of two fronts” of Highway 13 and Ring Road 4 of Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese-German University (VGU) has been considered a “lighthouse” project and a symbol of educational cooperation between Vietnam and Germany since its establishment in September 2008. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s return to Vietnam to visit the Vietnamese-German University was therefore particularly meaningful when he witnessed the contents of the documents signed in 2008 being realized, the “lighthouse” project having truly taken shape.

The project to build the campus of Vietnam-Germany University was signed a credit contract between the Vietnamese Government and the World Bank in 2010, and started construction in 2016 with a total investment of 200 million USD. The campus will officially be put into use from 2022-2023, expected to accommodate 6,000 students by 2030. The school is currently training about 2,400 Vietnamese students and 70 students from other countries.

The school also receives a lot of support from German organizations and multinational corporations in Vietnam. Thanks to all these sources of support, the tuition fee at the school is supported and much lower than the necessary cost of an international standard university.

With a total construction area of ​​up to ^156,000m2 , Vietnam-Germany University is built according to the model of a university urban ecosystem, including all items according to international standards. The school aims to become a leading research-oriented university in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

During the training process, Vietnam-Germany University has achieved many achievements with a high rate of graduates having jobs, most of whom work in fields related to their major. Up to 8.6% of students work in Germany after graduation. The rate of scientific articles per lecturer is always high, in the top 7 among the university system in Vietnam.

Not only the Vietnam-Germany University, but also some of Germany's "lighthouse" projects in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas in recent times, such as the German House or Metro Line 2, were also stops by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during his two-day visit to Vietnam.

In the context of Germany's serious labor shortage and Vietnam's advantages, vocational training cooperation is also an area of ​​interest for both sides. The two sides agreed to promote cooperation in training, develop high-quality human resources, and strengthen the development of mechanisms and frameworks for cooperation in the field of vocational training. The German President expressed his hope that the Vietnamese workforce will soon have the opportunity to work in Germany, actively improving the labor shortage in Germany in the coming time.

The binding factors

When talking about Vietnam-Germany relations, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized that the very important foundation is the close relationship between the people of the two countries, including 200,000 Vietnamese people living and working in Germany and many of them speak German. This is the factor, the glue, laying the foundation for political, economic and cultural cooperation between Germany and Vietnam.

The German head of state stated that what connects Germans to Vietnam is the common past of the two countries. That is the foundation for the diversity and depth of the German-Vietnamese friendship. Trade flourishes, investment is promoted, cultural, scientific and social exchanges take place vigorously, and no less important are political cooperation activities between the two States and peoples.

Accompanying President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Vietnam were a number of outstanding representatives of the successful Vietnamese community in Germany. This is a very new point in the visit of a high-ranking German leader to Vietnam, demonstrating the appreciation and respect for the Vietnamese community in Germany. The community is also a bridge for bilateral relations in general and the friendship and close ties between the people of the two countries in particular.

It can be said that the German President's visit to Vietnam in the first month of the new year 2024 and before the traditional Tet holiday of the nation brings to Vietnam warm friendship and belief in the bright future of the relationship between the two countries.

Germany wishes to continue expanding its cooperation with Vietnam in the economic and political fields. We consider Vietnam an important partner in preserving and developing the “rules-based international order”.

I see two potential areas of cooperation for the two countries in the near future. The first is the energy transition. We want to support Vietnam in moving towards renewable energy sources and eliminating fossil fuels and coal. Germany is one of the developed countries that has established a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with Vietnam. The second is recruiting highly skilled Vietnamese workers for Germany. The German labor market offers attractive job opportunities for Vietnamese people.

Dr. Guido Hildner, German Ambassador to Vietnam

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tong-thong-duc-tham-viet-nam-lan-tro-lai-y-nghia-cua-nguoi-ban-tu-chau-au-258667.html