Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel reached the consensus at a bilateral meeting in Bonn on February 16. The two sides expressed their pleasure at the growing strategic partnership. Germany is currently one of the biggest trade partners of Vietnam in the European Union. Minh proposed Germany urge the EU to finalise the legal revision for the early signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in 2017, and recognise Vietnam's market economy status at the same time. Both ministers agreed that the agenda and priorities of G20 and APEC this year share a lot of similarities. They also exchanged regional and international issues of mutual concerns such as enhancing collaboration at global forums, including that of the United Nations.
