(VOVworld) – President Truong Tan Sang and German President Joachim Gauck held talks on Wednesday following an welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace. The two president expressed pleasure at the rapid development of the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership and agreed that the two countries have become not only strategic partners but close friends. They agreed to increase visit exchanges and implement bilateral cooperative mechanisms to create new momentum for the two countries’ strategic partnership.

President Truong Tan Sang and German President Joachim Gauk said they were delighted with progress in bilateral trade and investment ties. They said the two countries enjoy favorable conditions to boost bilateral and trade cooperation to increase two-way trade to between 15 and 20 billion USD by 2020 and Germany’s investment in Vietnam to 5 billion USD in an earliest time. They agreed to maintain Germany’s top place among Vietnam’s economic partners, especially when the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement is to be signed soon. They agreed to facilitate their enterprises to promote cooperation.

The two leaders praised the bilateral cooperation at multilateral forums. They exchanged views on the increasing activities of artificial island constructions which damaged stability, peace, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. The German President stressed the importance to settle disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means in line with international law.