Vietnamese, German foreign ministers hold phone talks

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son held phone talks with his German counterpart Heiko Maas on May 25, during which he affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to further promoting and deepening the strategic partnership with Germany.

Both sides expressed their delight at the strong, comprehensive, and effective development of bilateral ties since the establishment of a strategic partnership a decade ago.

Agreeing on measures to enhance economic-trade-investment, science-technology, renewable energy, vocational training, and medical cooperation, the two vowed to soon build the Vietnam - Germany strategic action plan for the 2022-2023 period, with a focus on the exchange of high-level visits, boosting dialogue mechanisms and collaboration.

Maas spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts to contain COVID-19 and the close cooperation between the two countries to address the crisis.

Son congratulated Germany on its important achievements in vaccine roll-out and pandemic control. He thanked the country and the EU for providing vaccines to Vietnam via the COVAX facility.

He suggested Germany facilitate Vietnam’s access to vaccines and vaccine production technology, as the latter is expanding its vaccination programme to achieve the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and restoring the economy.

The German minister hailed Vietnam’s role and position in realising Germany’s policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific to boost bilateral links in economy, trade-investment, sustainable development, and national defence-security.

The Vietnamese minister heralded Germany’s active and constructive role in the region and thanked it for actively supporting Vietnam - EU cooperation, especially in stepping up the signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. He also proposed the German Government and legislature accelerate the approval of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement.

The two sides highly appreciated their close liaison and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially in 2020 when the two served as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Vietnam undertook the role of ASEAN Chair and Germany was rotating President of the EU in the second half of the year.

On regional and global issues, they upheld compliance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the sake of peace and stability in the region and the world.

They spotlighted ASEAN’s central role and supported the promotion of dialogue and efforts to seek sustainable solutions for peace in Myanmar./.