PM expects Germany to soon ratify EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and newly-accredited German Ambassador to Vietnam Helga Margarete during their meeting in Hanoi on September 27. (Photo: VGP)

Chinh also asked Germany to encourage the European Commission (EC) to soon remove IUU “yellow card” against Vietnamese seafood. He suggested both sides take advantage of the opportunities of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to benefit business communities of the two counties, as well as between Vietnam and the EU.

According to the PM, over the past nearly five decades, the Vietnam - Germany relations have continued to develop fruitfully, especially after the Vietnam visits by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2022 and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in January 2024, creating new momentum for the bilateral relations.

Currently, Germany is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the European Union (EU) with trade turnover reaching over US$11 billion in 2023, and over US$8 billion in the first eight months of 2024. Educational cooperation between the two countries is developing positively with more than 7,500 Vietnamese students studying in Germany and the Viet-German University project operating effectively.

PM Chinh highly appreciated the German government’s creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to live and work stably in Germany.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives newly-accredited German Ambassador to Vietnam Helga Margarete in Hanoi on September 27. (Photo: VGP)

To celebrate 50 years of bilateral diplomacy in 2025, the PM proposed the two sides coordinate to organise meaningful activities such as exchanging high-level delegations, organising Germany Days in Vietnam and Vietnam Days in Germany to further deepen the cooperative relationship.

He thanked the German Government for providing Vietnam with a large number of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Germany’s support through multilateral mechanisms to help Vietnam overcome the consequences of recent Typhoon Yagi.

At the meeting, Chinh congratulated Margarete on new mission in Vientam and believed the diplomat would contribute positively to the relationship between the two countries.

Margarete for her part affirmed that Vietnam is a key partner of Germany in the region, and she would work hard to promote the relations between the two countries.

She spoke highly of Vietnam's role at international and regional forums and said that in the coming time, she wishes to further promote cooperation between the two countries in all fields, especially education, training, skilled labour, and climate change adaptation.

Regarding international and regional issues, including the East Sea issue, the two sides heightened the basic principles of international law, and agreed to resolve disputes by peaceful means and ensure security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).