A ceremony to kick off the 40th anniversary year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany (1975-2015) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 24.

The 2015 Vietnam- Germany year will see a myriad of political and socio-cultural activities to be held across Vietnam, with the highlight to be a German festival scheduled for March 28.

Vietnam and Germany has fostered cross-sector cooperation since two country set up diplomatic relations on September 23, 1975, said Nguyen Huu Thien, Chairman of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association in HCM City.

He stressed that the two countries lifted their relationship to a strategic partnership with the signing of the Hanoi joint statement in October 2011.

Meanwhile, Anke Stahl, director of the DAAD Regional Office in Hanoi, said that in the past 40 years, Vietnamese students who studied and worked in Germany had made great contributions to bilateral relations.

She said the DAAD in Hanoi has planned numerous activities in the anniversary year, which include organising meetings of those who used to study and work in Germany, facilitating collaboration between Vietnamese and German universities and granting scholarships for outstanding students.-VNA