Hanoi (VNA) – The upcoming state visitto Vietnam by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will create an impetusfor the bilateral relations to reach a new height, German Ambassador to VietnamGuido Hildner has said.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency(VNA) ahead of the visit on January 23-24, the ambassador called it a highlight inthe relations between Vietnam and Germany this year.

The visit is the personal wish of the President, thediplomat said, adding that the leader learned about Vietnam from his previoustrips in his role as foreign minister.

While in Vietnam, Steinmeier is scheduled to holdtalks and meetings with high-ranking Vietnamese leaders, visit Van Mieu – QuocTu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi, and have meetings with relevant sides onlabour exchange and immigration.  

The President will fly to Ho Chi Minh City onJanuary 24, where he is scheduled to meet representatives of German firms. Hewill also visit the Vietnam-Germany University in neighbouring Binh Duongprovince.

Hildner said Vietnam has experienced “impressivedevelopments” over the past decades, and affirmed that Germany has accompaniedand supported the Southeast Asian nation in its national construction anddevelopment.

According to the ambassador,economy-trade-investment cooperation is an important pillar of the bilateralties, with two-way trade exceeding 11 billion USD last year.

Germany is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner inEurope, and more than 350 German businesses are operating in Vietnam. As of May2023, Germany had 444 valid projects worth over 2.36 billion USD, ranking18th out of the 143 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asiannation.

Education is one of the focuses of the cooperation,he said, noting that thousands of Vietnamese students have studied in Germany,and the two countries have enhanced collaboration in vocational training.   

Besides, they have cooperated in energy, environmentand climate change response, he continued.

Mentioning the nearly 200,000-strong Vietnamesecommunity in Germany, he said they have served as an important bridge betweenthe two countries.

Hildner stressed that Germany wishes to expandcooperation with Vietnam in economy and politics, and views it as an “importantpartner” in preserving and developing the “international rules-based order”.

He held that Vietnam and Germany hold potential forcooperation in energy transition and labour, saying “Germany wants to assistand support Vietnam its way towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuelssuch as coal” and “the German labour market offers attractive job opportunitiesto Vietnamese”./.