Ambassador seeks cooperation between Vietnamese, German localities

It was also Vietnam's first activity in the role of Chair of the Berlin ASEAN Committee, a position that Vietnam has assumed since the beginning of July.

At a working session with Mayor of Bühl city Hubert Schnurr, and member of the Bundestag and Chairwoman of the Bundestag's Parliamentary Friendship Group for Relations with ASEAN States Gabriele Katzmarek, Minh said the potential for bilateral cooperation remains huge.

Vietnam always welcomes and offers all possible support to foreign investors, he said, adding that while Germany is aiming to further diversify economic, trade, and investment relations, Vietnam will be an attractive destination for German and European investors.

Minh said the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany is always ready to connect and assist local delegations in visiting and working in Vietnam, as well as launch cooperative activities with the Southeast Asian country.

He hoped that the administration of Bühl city will continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to integrate into the host society, thereby contributing to tightening the friendly relations between the two nations.

Schnurr said many firms in Baden-Württemberg state and Bühl city in particular are seeking opportunities in Southeast Asia, with Vietnam being a priority choice.

The state and city's administrations aim to utilise such a meeting to gather information, boost relationships, and help firms find opportunities with Vietnamese localities, he said.

Katzmarek, for her part, spoke highly of Vietnam's important role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), saying that Vietnam also serves as a crucial bridge for ties between ASEAN and the European Union (EU). Currently, the EU as a whole and Germany are eager to push forward their relationships with ASEAN, she said.

Katzmarek affirmed that in her capacity, she will make further efforts to bolster relations between the two legislatures as well as people-to-people exchanges, considering it a significant cooperation channel to achieve even more fruitful outcomes in bilateral relationship.

While introducing business opportunities in Vietnam, Nguyen Manh Hai, Counsellor in charge of investment at the Vietnamese Embassy, believed that with advanced technological expertise in machinery manufacturing and industrial products, businesses in Baden-Württemberg state and Bühl city are highly suitable for Vietnam's investment attraction needs.

He hoped that the city's leaders will provide information for local firms and further support cooperative activities with Vietnam.

During the visit, Minh also visited a manufacturing facility of the Bosch Group in Bühl. Since 2016, Bosch has been providing vocational training courses for Vietnamese workers. Each year, 24 young Vietnamese complete a rigorous 3-year vocational training course in Germany, following the stringent standards set by Bosch.