• Vietnam, Germany look toward higher level relations

It was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and State Secretary of the German Federal Foreign Office Emily Haber.

The two sides reviewed the implementation of the Vietnam-Germany strategic plans of action since October 2011 in priority areas - politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, judiciary-laws, development cooperation and environmental protection, education, science and technology, culture and communications.

They emphasized the need to promote the exchange of visits and focus on cooperating in key projects, for instance, to build the metro line No2, German House, Vietnam-Germany University and International School in Ho Chi Minh City.

They proposed that Germany will provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in the country and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in other fields, such as law enforcement, environmental protection, climate change and war aftermath.

The two sides discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern and agreed to support each other at multilateral and international forums, particularly the UN.

Germany pledged to further support Vietnam in increasing comprehensive cooperation with the European Union, seeing recorgnisation of its full market economy status, negotiating the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and approving Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the EU.