Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Cuong and German Secretary of State Foreign Office Wolf-Ruthart Born met in Berlin to discuss measures boosting bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

At the second Vietnam-Germany political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level on Feb. 8, the two sides emphasised the Vietnam-Germany relations’ development in many areas, agreeing with measures to lift the two countries’ ties to a new height.

They spoke highly of successfully launching the “German Year in Vietnam” in Hanoi and the “Vietnamese Year in Germany” in Berlin occasioned by the 35 th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, describing it a good start for exchange programmes in politics, economic, culture, education-training, and science-technology areas in 2010.

Both sides agreed upon great potential in bilateral economic cooperation and compared notes on information and measures to accelerate specific projects.

The Vietnamese side praised the German government’s ODA commitment for Vietnam, despite the German economy having been hit by the global economic-financial crisis.

The Vietnamese side noted the effective use of Germany’s ODA in Vietnam, wishing the German side to continue maintaining the funding.

The German side affirmed that cooperation in education-training is top priority in its relations with Vietnam and pledged to assist the construction of the Vietnam-Germany University as well as German language teaching and vocational training for Vietnam.

The two sides also discussed international issues of common concern.

Earlier on Feb. 5, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Cuong and Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office Corneli Pieper officially launched the “Vietnamese Year in Germany 2010” and attended the lunar New Year festival hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy./.