Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam (R) receives Bundestag Vice-President Bodo Ramelow during the German official’s visit to Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam News Agency
Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on Thursday received Ramelow during the German lawmaker’s visit to Vietnam from June 15 to 21.
According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam reaffirmed that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam attach great importance to relations with Germany, which he described as one of Vietnam’s leading and most important partners in Europe.
He also thanked the German parliament for recently ratifying the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, saying the move demonstrated both sides’ commitment to further strengthening the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership.
The Vietnamese top leader noted that Germany is Europe’s largest economy and the world’s third-largest economy, while Vietnam is experiencing strong development and ranks among the most dynamic economies in the region and globally.
Both countries support multilateralism, free trade, and adherence to international law, creating favorable conditions for deeper cooperation.
He said these factors provide an important foundation for the two countries to further strengthen and elevate their strategic partnership in the future.
Outlining priorities for bilateral cooperation, Vietnamese Party chief and State President To Lam proposed enhancing political trust through exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts across multiple channels.
He also called on both sides to make full use of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement to raise bilateral trade turnover beyond US$20 billion while maintaining their positions as key markets for each other in the European Union and ASEAN.
In addition, he encouraged stronger cooperation in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, the green economy, and the circular economy.
Bundestag Vice-President Bodo Ramelow (L) said Germany respects Vietnam’s political system and highly values the country’s role and position in the region. Photo: Vietnam News Agency
For his part, Ramelow congratulated Vietnam on its remarkable achievements in socio-economic development, administrative reform, and rising international standing.
He affirmed that Germany respects Vietnam’s political system and highly values the country’s role and position in the region.
Germany, he said, is eager to deepen practical and effective cooperation with Vietnam across a wide range of fields, particularly in economics, trade, investment, renewable energy, high-speed rail development, and the training of highly skilled human resources.
Sharing the outcomes of his meetings with German businesses operating in Vietnam, Ramelow said the German business community highly appreciates Vietnam’s dynamic economy, favorable investment and business environment, and long-term development potential.
According to him, Vietnam will continue to be the most attractive destination in the region for German investors.
Germany is ready to combine its technological strengths and experience with Vietnam’s young and skilled workforce, he added.
He also expressed support for expanding cooperation in education, labor, and vocational training, with the goal of establishing government-level and local-level cooperation agreements in these areas.
Ramelow also agreed with Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam on the importance of promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, as well as leveraging the contributions of the more than 200,000 Vietnamese living in Germany and thousands of Vietnamese who have studied or worked there to strengthen the foundation of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
