Germany’s Lower Saxony wants to strengthen economic cooperation with Vietnam
VOV.VN - The Minister President of the German state of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, has raised high expectations of strengthening cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economy and labour, following his six-day trip to the Southeast Asian country, starting on October 1.
Suddeutsche Zeitung newswire quoted Stephan Weil ahead of his departure, saying Vietnam is an important partner of the European Union in Southeast Asia and an important location for German companies to diversify their markets. Weil also highly appreciated Vietnam’s increasing position since the enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
“I am looking forward to our trip and I am pleased about the strong interest in the Lower Saxony economy,” said Weil.
According to the Minister President, Vietnam is also an interesting destination for Lower Saxony thanks to its comparatively young population, when it comes to the shortage of skilled workers in the Germany State.
“We want to present Lower Saxony as an attractive destination for young Vietnamese people interested in training or working in Germany,” said Weil.
The Press Office of Lower Saxony said Vietnam has experienced remarkable economic growth over the past 30 years and it is now one of the world’s most important manufacturing locations for electronics, clothing, footwear and furniture.
German business associations and firms are very interested in the workforce from Vietnam, especially workers in the fields of health care and food catering, as well as in industry and craft making. Therefore, Vietnam is also an attractive destination for Lower Saxony in the current context of skilled labour shortages.
German statistics show Germany is currently Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the European Union with bilateral turnover reaching about EUR18 billion (more than US$19 billion) last year.
About 500 German companies have opened their representative offices in Vietnam. Many German companies are considering investing in Vietnam in an effort to diversify markets and production locations.
Minister President Stephan Weil is beginning a six-day working trip to Vietnam on October 1 to further develop economic relations between Lower Saxony and Vietnam, according to the State Chancellery. Economic and political discussions and business networking events will be high on the agenda.
