Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc on October 10 held a working session with Chairwoman of the Germany-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group Gabriele Katzmarek as part of his trip to Germany to attend the Hamburg Sustainability Conference.
Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc (third, left) holds a working session with representatives of the Germany-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group on October 10. (Photo: VNA)
Berlin (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc on October 10 held a working session with Chairwoman of the Germany-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group Gabriele Katzmarek as part of his trip to Germany to attend the Hamburg Sustainability Conference.
The Deputy PM appreciated the role and support of Katzmarek and the group in promoting the relations between Germany and ASEAN as well as Vietnam, saying it has played an important part in enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the German parliament and its ASEAN counterparts, for the peace and prosperity of both regions.
He asked the lawmakers to encourage the German parliament to support Vietnam in strengthening its comprehensive cooperation with the European Union, and to expedite the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), thus creating a new impetus for trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Phoc also urged them to support boths governments in enhancing collaboration in the areas of their strength and demand, such as trade, investment, education and training, high technology, health care, and labour.
Katzmarek and the lawmakers lauded Vietnam's socio-economic achievements and international integration, as well as its increasingly important role and position in the region.
They affirmed that Germany treasures its relations with countries in the Indo-Pacific region in general and with Vietnam in particular, as reflected through the Vietnam visits by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2022 and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in January 2024.
The two sides agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in areas like trade and investment, science and technology, renewable energy, health care, and pharmaceuticals, especially vocational training in line with German standards, and labour, as Vietnam has an abundant young workforce, while Germany faces a labour shortage.
They also agreed to strengthen collaboration at multilateral forums, contributing to maintaining peace, addressing global challenges, and promoting sustainable development and prosperity worldwide.
Regarding situation in the East Sea, both sides shared the view on the need to solve disputes by peaceful peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), for peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region./.
Various members of the German Association of Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses (BVMW International) have pointed to potential for cooperation between Vietnam and Germany in labour supply.
Vietnam wishes to further strengthen cooperation with Germany in vocational education and sending Vietnamese workers to the European country to work in the context of Germany's recent revision of its foreign worker reception policy, stated Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung at a meeting with Country Director of Germany Development Agency (GIZ) in Vietnam Michaela Baur in Hanoi on September 17.
The Vietnam trade mission in Germany coordinated with the Berlin – Brandenburg automotive association (aBB) and authorities of the Vietnamese province of Nam Dinh to hold a roundtable on cooperation in the automobile industry.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
