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Chairman of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association and Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung speaks at the event. Photo: VNT

The Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association held a ceremony in Hanoi on October 16 to celebrate 35 years of its founding anniversary and 45 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In his opening speech, Chairman of the association and Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, who is also president of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association, noted over the past 35 years the association has worked actively to strengthen solidarity with German people and international friends, significantly contributing to the country’s construction and defence, as well as its global integration.

The association has raised funds for poor people, victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin and soldiers and residents stationed at seas and in border areas. It has carried out activities to popularize Vietnamese culture in Germany, and to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

According to the chairman of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association, 2020 is a year of special significance in the bilateral relationship. 45 years ago, on September 23, 1975, the two countries Vietnam and Germany established diplomatic relations, marking an important milestone in the friendship and cooperation between two Governments and two people.

In 2020, the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association has contributed to bilateral relations for peace, cooperation, and development. The association also joined hands in the production of the second documentary film on Vietnam-Germany People-to-People Diplomacy to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the association.

With outstanding contributions to the relations between the two countries, the Vietnam - Germany Friendship Association was honored by the Party and State with many noble awards, including the Second Class Labor Order. This is the Party's and State's recognition of the Association's excellent and typical achievements in strengthening friendly and cooperative relations between the two peoples, contributing to promoting the Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership.

On behalf of the Party and State, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung honoured the association with the Labour Order, second class, in recognition of its contribution to promoting friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

He affirmed that the friendship and strategic partnership plays an important role in Vietnam’s policy on external relations, adding that Germany has for many years been a key partner in Europe.

To extensively, effectively, and practically reinforce ties in all fields, from politics and diplomacy, trade and investment, and defence, to education and tourism, he recommended the association follow the Party’s orientations on external relations, boost people-to-people exchanges, and actively cooperate with partners.

On behalf of the Party and the State, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung presented the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association with a second-class Labour Order. Photo: VNT

Currently Germany is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Europe, accounting for nearly 20% of its exports to the European Union. Germany is also an important gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter other markets in Europe.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is also an important partner of Germany in Asia and ASEAN. Two-way trade turnover last year reached over USD 10.24 billion.

German investors consider Vietnam a potentially fast growing market in Asia, second only to China and India. Germany currently has 361 projects with a total registered investment capital of USD 2.06 billion, ranking 4th in the EU and 18th out of 132 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner noted with satisfaction the fine development of Germany-Vietnam relations, saying both countries are accelerating bilateral cooperation in various areas, including education.

Currently about 7,500 Vietnamese students are studying in Germany, he said hoping education will be one of the major highlights in bilateral cooperation.

He took the occasion to thank the Vietnamese government and people for handing over more than 80,000 face masks to German people, helping them fight against COVID-19.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Ambassador Hildner also shared that one of the focus that the two countries decided to cooperate with was in vocational training, targeting young people, adding that the Vietnamese-German University is considered the "lighthouse" pioneering the cooperation in education between the two countries.

The ambassador expressed his hope that in the future, young people studying at the Vietnamese-German Universitywill be active members of the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association, contributing to promoting cooperation and friendship activities between two people./.

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