Vietnam, Germany offer mutual support at international forums

This marked the first time that interns from various universities in Germany had participated in discussion on mutual relations, as well as several current international issues related to their fields of study at the Vietnamese Embassy.

They watched a video clip introducing Vietnamese foreign achievements and several diplomatic milestones recorded in 2022, the joint relationship, as well as Vietnamese foreign policies amid more unpredictable and complicated developments occurring in the world than previously forecasted.

The Vietnamese diplomat briefed them on the country’s foreign policy, its stance on certain global and regional issues, as well as important missions of the diplomatic sector in terms of the national development process, especially its significant role in spurring post-pandemic economic growth.

Reviewing the tremendous achievements of economic diplomacy seen in 2022, Ambassador Minh said keeping abreast with the world's trend of reopening, Vietnam had actively stepped up direct diplomatic activities bilaterally and multilaterally, thereby deepening ties with countries and international organisations to demonstrate its policy of balancing and diversifying external relations.

The sector also quickly shifted its focus from "vaccine diplomacy" to "economic diplomacy" in service to the cause of national recovery and development. In accordance with a Directive of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and directions of the Government, it advised on the timing of reopening, helping to promptly attract investment flows, revive tourism, restore production, and propel economic growth leading the region, he added.

Answering interns’ questions regarding Vietnamese socio-economic development last year, Ambassador Minh highlighted the country’s efforts to fast-track the implementation of free trade agreements, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This is along with urging the EU to remove the yellow card warning, as well as to realise the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

He affirmed that the direction towards new markets, green economy, digital economy, and circular economy has helped Vietnamese goods secure a foothold in many places, with a record export-import value of more than US$730 billion.

Germany remains the nation’s biggest trade partner within the EU, while Vietnam has become Germany's largest trade partner in Southeast Asia. After more than 10 years of a strategic partnership, two-way trade has doubled. As of November, 2022, bilateral trade soared 16.7% on-year to reach US$10.6 billion. According to Germany’s statistics, this figure was even higher, hitting US$12.16 billion.

In terms of the global arena, Vietnam and Germany also offer mutual support at international forums.

As active and responsible members of the international community, both sides share many core values, strategic interests, and concerns in the region and the world. Indeed, the two nations are keen to continue collaborating for the sake of co-operation, stability, peace, and development based on the rule of law, Ambassador Minh said.

As part of the occasion he also shared his professional experience in the diplomatic sector over the past three decades.