Berlin (VNA) – Leonie Gebers, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, has reaffirmed Germany’s wish to elevate labour cooperation into a vital pillar of the Vietnam – Germany strategic partnership.
Speaking at a working session in Berlin on April 9 with Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Dac Thanh, Gebers highlighted the importance of expanding collaboration in labour mobility, vocational training, and institutional coordination between the two countries.
The two sides discussed measures to deepen bilateral cooperation in workforce development and skills training, and enhanced coordination between management agencies of Vietnam and Germany in the time to come.
Gebers spoke highly of proactive efforts of Vietnamese ministries, agencies and the Embassy in Berlin in implementing outcomes from the Vietnam – Germany Labour Cooperation Forum held in Leipzig in December 2025. She also noted positive assessments by politicians and local authorities of Germany regarding the successful integration and contributions of the Vietnamese community in the European country.
Building on this foundation, Gebers said her ministry will continue working closely with Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and relevant agencies, firstly to organise an online seminar to exchange good practices and enhance labour management mechanisms, towards making labour cooperation an important pillar of the bilateral relations.
Ambassador Thanh proposed the German side facilitate the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs and Thuringia state, to establish a framework for recruiting, vocational training, and language teaching for Vietnamese labourers working in the state.
On the same day, the diplomat also met with representatives of the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA) and the German-Vietnamese Association (GVA), in Berlin, during which Thanh appreciated the organsations’ support for the Embassy’s efforts in promoting economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The ambassador highlighted Vietnam’s major annual trade fairs and exhibitions, including seasonal fairs, Vietnam Expo, and Vietnam International Sourcing Expo, which attract leading manufacturers and exporters. He expressed hope that BWA will encourage German businesses to attend these events and strengthen trade connectivity.
For his part, Urs Unkauf, Plenipotentiary Extraordinary for Global External Affairs at the BWA, outlined the association’s recent initiatives to connect Vietnamese organisations and enterprises with German partners. Drawing from practical experience, he suggested Vietnamese localities further enhance their branding and better showcase their strengths to improve engagement with German counterparts.
He also noted growing interest among German businesses in the Vietnamese market and affirmed BWA’s readiness to host networking events and seminar to connect businesses and experts from both countries.
Meanwhile, GVA Chairman Rolf Schulze, who was former German Ambassador to Vietnam, said German companies are increasingly interested in Vietnam’s development success. While acknowledging notable progress in education and cultural cooperation, he stressed the need to prioritise economic collaboration in the coming period./.
VNA
