Viet Nam-Germany cooperation thrives

05/03/2008 -- 6:01 PM

Ha Noi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung will visit Germany from March 6-8 at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. PM Dung’s visit to Germany takes place as the two countries’ relationship rapidly develops. There has been regular exchanges of high-level delegations such as Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh’s visits to Germany in 2001 and 2004, respectively, and German President Horst Koehler’s visit to Viet Nam . Germany is Viet Nam ’s biggest European Union partner, with two-way trade reaching more than 3 billion USD in 2007. German investment in Viet Nam remains modest compared with the potential investment the two countries seek. Germany has so far had 98 investment projects worth 545.9 million USD focusing mainly on industry and services in Viet Nam . To create a legal framework for bilateral economic ties, Viet Nam and Germany have signed a double taxation avoidance agreement, an investment protection and encouragement agreement, and agreements on marine and aviation cooperation. Viet Nam ranks third in Asia, after China and India , in receiving Germany ’s cooperation development aid. Since Germany re-established its cooperation development ties with Viet Nam in 1990, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has provided almost 572 million EUR in aid to Viet Nam . Germany ranks third, after Japan and France , in the list of Viet Nam ’s donors. At governmental negotiations in 2006, Germany pledged a provision of 91.5 million EUR for Viet Nam in 2006 and 2007, of which 22 million EUR in technical assistance and 69.5 million EUR in financial cooperation. To raise the efficiency of bilateral cooperation, Viet Nam and Germany came to an agreement in 2000 to focus their cooperation in three key areas. The first is assisting reform policies, including promoting the private economic sector and vocational training. Environment protection and sustainable use of natural resources such as safe water supply, waste water and garbage disposal is the second agreed area. The third area focuses on health care, family planning and the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Important developments are also seen in bilateral cooperation on culture and education. In 1990, the two countries signed a cultural cooperation agreement. Germany established its cultural powerhouse, the Goethe Institute, in Ha Noi in 1997 and helped Viet Nam build the Scientific and Technological Exchange Centre in the Ha Noi University of Technology in 1998. Germany has also agreed to help Vietnamese students study in Germany . In addition, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides scholarships to Vietnamese scientists to receive further short-term training in Germany.-Enditem
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