At the meeting, Ambassador Thanh praised Bac Ninh’s recent socio-economic achievements. He and embassy officials also shared updates on Germany’s economic, political and social situation, as well as opportunities and challenges in bilateral cooperation, while suggesting new areas of co-operation in investment, cultural diplomacy, agriculture, science and technology, and human resources development.

Germany is currently the world’s third-largest economy and has for many years been Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade reaching nearly US$14 billion. However, Germany’s total direct investment in Vietnam has so far reached just over US$3 billion, indicating considerable room for expanded cooperation across multiple sectors.

According to Ambassador Thanh, Germany’s economy is being affected by geopolitical volatility and global technology competition, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), prompting the German government to accelerate supply chain diversification and seek stable, high-potential markets.

 In that context, Germany highly values Vietnam’s reform efforts, while many German companies, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, are actively exploring new markets to expand their production networks.

He said this presents favourable opportunities for Vietnam in general and Bac Ninh in particular to attract shifting investment flows from German businesses.

Speaking at the meeting, Tran Huy Phuong thanked Ambassador Thanh for the warm reception and highlighted Bac Ninh’s recent achievements. Bac Ninh is currently one of Vietnam’s most dynamic economic centres, ranking fifth nationwide in economic scale and working towards becoming a centrally governed city.

Regarding cooperation with Germany, Bac Ninh has maintained ties with Berlin’s Marzahn-Hellersdorf district under a friendship cooperation memorandum signed in 2024. The province currently has four active investment projects by German enterprises.

In addition, Bac Ninh has worked with the German Embassy in Vietnam to implement the “Startup Bus” programme, which provides guidance and vocational training support for young people studying and working in Germany. In 2025, the programme supported more than 100 participants, with training conducted at Bac Ninh College of Industry.

Tran Huy Phuong called on the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany to continue supporting the province in connecting with German businesses seeking opportunities to explore and invest in technology, agricultural exports, cultural heritage promotion and tourism development. He also requested support in providing information and data on overseas Vietnamese scientists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, particularly people from Bac Ninh living and working in Germany, to help mobilise knowledge resources for the province’s development.

Ambassador Thanh affirmed that supporting localities in seeking partners and tapping cooperation potential has always been a priority for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany will continue supporting Bac Ninh in turning cooperation ideas into concrete and practical projects serving the province’s socio-economic development in the new period.

German businesses show resilience in Vietnamese market amid challenges

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German businesses in Vietnam have maintained optimism and a long-term commitment to the Vietnamese market despite facing numerous challenges, experts said.