Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh pays a courtesy call to Dr. Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the City of Hamburg, Germany on June 20. (Photo: VNA)The diplomat spoke highly of the two countries’ friendlycooperation which has been growing strong, saying the two sides have alwaysprovided support for each other, particularly at the time of COVID-19.
He took the occasion to thank the Government and people ofHamburg for, together with the cities of Bremen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern andSachsen-Anhalt, donating more than 190,000 COVID-19 test kits to Vietnam lastJune when the country was battling the worst-ever outbreak.
Given that Germany is currently Vietnam’s largest tradepartner and fifth biggest investor in the EU, the ambassador highlightedHamburg as an important gateway for Vietnam’s key export products, includingfootwear, clothing, coffee, pepper and wood, to enter Germany and the EU.
There is plenty of room for Vietnamese localities andHamburg to thrive, he said, adding that Vietnam is now signatory to 16 freetrade agreements, one of which is the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA),opening up various opportunities for enterprises from both sides.
He expressed his hope that Vietnamese localities and Hamburgwill further strengthen ties in the long-standing fields of shipbuilding andpersonnel training and expand to the new areas of green energy and renewableenergy. He also suggested Hamburg to set up a sisterly relationship with aVietnamese port city, like Da Nang, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.
Tschentscher, for his part, hailed the dynamic developmentof Vietnam over the recent years, saying that Hamburg backs the EVFTA as it minimisestrade barriers and create new impetus to boost the economic growth of the twocontinents.
Hamburg will prioritise diversifying economic, trade andinvestment relations with Asian countries, including Vietnam, the official said.
He expected to welcome representatives of Vietnameselocalities to visit Hamburg to discuss issues of mutual interest and seekpartnership opportunity./.
VNA
