Mr. Phuc asked Chancellor Merkel to encourage German enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam, particularly in industry, railway, tourism infrastructure, transport, renewable energy and foodstuff.

Vietnam will create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including those from Germany, he said, affirming that the Vietnamese Government will do its utmost to help the German House project in Ho Chi Minh City become operational in the third quarter of this year.  Prime Minister Phuc said Vietnam is ready to hold dialogues to address German investors’ challenges. 

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Source: VNA)

The leaders expressed their support for the teaching of Vietnamese and German in schools in both countries. They agreed to promote technology transfer in fields of wind power, food industry, IT application, as well as biology for sustainable development. The two sides will support each other in criminal justice and consider the possibility of negotiating an extradition agreement and an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons.

The leaders were unanimous in tackling disputes by peaceful means based on international law. Germany affirmed its support for freedom of navigation in the East Sea and backed Vietnam’s stance of settling disputes in the spirit of respecting international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met German President Frank-Water Steinmeier, who confirmed that Germany always attaches importance to consolidating and developing its friendship and cooperation with Vietnam – a partner with an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region.