PANO – German Ambassador to Vietnam, Jutta Frasch, stressed that the country would back Vietnam’s candidacy for a position on the UN Human Rights Council for the 2014-2016 tenure.
The ambassador made the remark at a press conference in Hanoi on October 2nd to mark the 23rd Unification Day of Germany (3rd October 1990). She also added that, as Vietnam and Germany established their strategic partnership, the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in various fields.
Ties with Vietnam play an important role
According to the ambassador, as the biggest economy and the most populous country in Europe, Germany attaches much importance to free trade and international cooperation. Moreover, Germany also strives for peace, freedom, democracy, human rights, free trade and social market economy.
The ambassador said that, on September 22nd, the 7th federal election was organized since the country was reunified, with the participation of 34 parties, of which four parties won seats in the parliament. At present, the parties are negotiating for the establishment of a new government.
German Ambassador to Vietnam Jutta Frasch
According the ambassador, whatever the form of the new government, the country’s relations with Vietnam still play an important role. She stressed that Vietnam’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council proved the country’s strong commitment to struggle for human rights in the country and in the world.
Therefore, Germany is willing to support Vietnam for a position in the council, said the ambassador.
The German Ambassador to Vietnam also believed that as the construction of the German House in Ho Chi Minh City is set to be started, the house will become a common place for different German organisations’ offices in the city and will become a symbol of the two countries’ cooperation.
Economic cooperation – A bright spot
One of the bright spots in the Vietnam – Germany Strategic Partnership is economic cooperation. According to Hans-Jorg Brunner, Deputy Ambassador and Commercial Counsellor of the German Embassy in Vietnam, Vietnam and Germany achieved two-way trade turnover of 9 billion USD in 2012 and German direct investment in Vietnam has exceeded one billion USD. Moreover, the country has more than 160 businesses operating in Vietnam.
Statistics shows that in the first half of 2013, the two-way trade turnover of the two countries reached 3.7 billion USD, an increase of 29.5% in comparison to last year. Vietnam’s total commodity export turnover to Germany reached 2.35 billion USD, an increase of 22.35%, and accounting for 18% of Vietnam’s total export turnover to the European Union.
Vietnam’s key export products to Germany include computers and electronic products; paper products, telephones and their components; clothes and garments. Meanwhile, the country imports machines, cars and chemical products from Germany.
Mr. Hans-Jorg Brunner believed that, as Vietnam is set to become an industrialized country by 2020, Germany hopes that Vietnam will continue to import made-in-Germany machines and equipment.
At the press conference, Ambassador Jutta Frasch said that as Vietnam’s economic growth has slowed down due to the global economic crisis, many foreign businesses started to find new emerging markets in the region, such as Myanmar.
But German businesses want to work for the long term in Vietnam, said the ambassador.
However, she also suggested that Vietnam should promote its competitive advantages, because ASEAN will become a community in 2015 and many kinds of tariffs will be lifted within the bloc by that time.
According to Deputy Ambassador Brunner, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology decided to choose Ho Chi Minh City to organize the 13th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) in November 2014. This will be a good opportunity for Vietnam to introduce its economic potential to Germany and other Asia – Pacific countries.
Translated by Ngoc Hung
Đăng ký: VietNam News