Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held phone talks with his German counterpart Heiko Maas on May 25, during which he affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to further promoting and deepening the strategic partnership with Germany.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son
held phone talks with his German counterpart Heiko Maas on May 25, during which he affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to further promoting and deepening the strategic
partnership with Germany.
Both sides expressed their delight at the strong,
comprehensive, and effective development of bilateral ties since the
establishment of a strategic partnership a decade ago.
Agreeing on measures to enhance
economic-trade-investment, science-technology, renewable energy, vocational
training, and medical cooperation, the two vowed to soon build the Vietnam - Germany
strategic action plan for the 2022-2023 period, with a focus on the exchange of
high-level visits, boosting dialogue mechanisms and collaboration.
Maas spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to contain
COVID-19 and the close cooperation between the two countries to address the crisis.
Son congratulated Germany on its important
achievements in vaccine roll-out and pandemic control. He thanked the country and
the EU for providing vaccines to Vietnam via the COVAX facility.
He suggested Germany facilitate Vietnam’s access to
vaccines and vaccine production technology, as the latter is expanding its
vaccination programme to achieve the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and
restoring the economy.
The German minister hailed Vietnam’s role and position
in realising Germany’s policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific to boost
bilateral links in economy, trade-investment, sustainable development, and
national defence-security.
The Vietnamese minister heralded Germany’s active and
constructive role in the region and thanked it for actively supporting Vietnam -
EU cooperation, especially in stepping up the signing and ratification of the
EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. He also proposed the German Government and
legislature accelerate the approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection
Agreement.
The two sides highly appreciated their close liaison
and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially in 2020 when the two served
as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Vietnam
undertook the role of ASEAN Chair and Germany was rotating President of the EU
in the second half of the year.
On regional and global issues, they upheld compliance
with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,
for the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world.
They spotlighted ASEAN’s central role and supported
the promotion of dialogue and efforts to seek sustainable solutions for peace in
Myanmar./.