Hanoi (VNA) – Cooperativerelations between Vietnam and Germany have been developing constantly inmultiple fields, German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner told the media onSeptember 30.

Discussing bilateral relations at a pressconference on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the German Unity Day(October 3) and 45 years of diplomatic ties between Germany and Vietnam (September23), Hildner said that how to develop the strategic partnership was also amongthe issues discussed during phone talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkeland Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 13 and between German ForeignMinister Heiko Maas and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham BinhMinh on September 25.

Highlighting the enhancement of bilateral tiesin various spheres, the ambassador said a tripartite agreement was recentlysigned between the Vietnamese Government, the German Government, and the administrationof Germany’s Hessen state to develop and expand the Vietnamese-GermanUniversity (VGU).

The VGU is considered a “lighthouse” project inbilateral cooperation and an important contribution to the comprehensive reformof tertiary education in Vietnam, he noted, adding that there are about 7,500Vietnamese students in Germany along with 163 cooperation projects inscientific research between the countries’ universities at present.

In terms of climate change response andenvironmental protection, energy supply by promoting the exploitation ofrenewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency are among the focusesof Germany’s development cooperation in Vietnam, he said.

Meanwhile, economic ties play a significant rolein bilateral links and have been strengthened continually, he affirmed.

Germany is the most important trade partner ofVietnam in the EU. Vietnam shipped 10.9 billion USD worth of goods to Germanylast year, which in turn earned 4.8 billion USD from exports to the SoutheastAsian nation.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam’s exportsto Germany still grew 1.6 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2020,according to the ambassador.

He added that German investors poured over 2.1billion USD and modern technology into Vietnam last year, up 5.8 percent from2018, and that 380 German businesses have presence in the country.

Describing the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement(EVFTA) coming into force on August 1 as a milestone in both sides’ economiclinks, he held that the deal will further foster the economic partnershipbetween the two countries.

The diplomat also said that while countriesaround the world have been seriously affected by COVID-19, Vietnam has moved toassist some, including Germany, by sending face masks, which is an encouragingsign of international solidarity./.