In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) ahead of the visit on January 23-24, the ambassador called it a highlight in the relations between Vietnam and Germany this year.
The visit is the personal wish of the President, the diplomat said, adding that the leader learned about Vietnam from his previous trips in his role as foreign minister.
While in Vietnam, Steinmeier is scheduled to hold talks and meetings with high-ranking Vietnamese leaders, visit Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi, and have meetings with relevant sides on labour exchange and immigration.
The President will fly to Ho Chi Minh City on January 24, where he is scheduled to meet representatives of German firms. He will also visit the Vietnam-Germany University in neighbouring Binh Duong province.
Hildner said Vietnam has experienced “impressive developments” over the past decades, and affirmed that Germany has accompanied and supported the Southeast Asian nation in its national construction and development.
According to the ambassador, economy-trade-investment cooperation is an important pillar of the bilateral ties, with two-way trade exceeding 11 billion USD last year.
Germany is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner in Europe, and more than 350 German businesses are operating in Vietnam. As of May 2023, Germany had 444 valid projects worth over 2.36 billion USD, ranking 18th out of the 143 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.
Education is one of the focuses of the cooperation, he said, noting that thousands of Vietnamese students have studied in Germany, and the two countries have enhanced collaboration in vocational training.
Besides, they have cooperated in energy, environment and climate change response, he continued.
Mentioning the nearly 200,000-strong Vietnamese community in Germany, he said they have served as an important bridge between the two countries.
Hildner stressed that Germany wishes to expand cooperation with Vietnam in economy and politics, and views it as an “important partner” in preserving and developing the “international rules-based order”.
He held that Vietnam and Germany hold potential for cooperation in energy transition and labour, saying “Germany wants to assist and support Vietnam its way towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuels such as coal” and “the German labour market offers attractive job opportunities to Vietnamese”.
