Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Minister-President of Hessen state Volker Bouffier (Photo: VNA)
During a working session with Minister-President of Hessen state Volker Bouffier on July 5th, PM Phuc asked the state’s authorities to continue encouraging local firms to do long-term business in Vietnam and provide support for Vietnamese enterprises operating in Hessen such as Vietinbank and FPT.
The Vietnamese government always supports and creates favorable conditions for firms from Germany in general and Hessen state in particular to invest and do long-term business in the country, he said.
On education-training, the Vietnamese leader spoke highly of the Vietnam-Germany University (VGU) project and urged Hessen state to assist Vietnam in implementing next stages of the project, especially in providing curricula to train Vietnamese lecturers for the university.
Bouffier, for his part, described the VGU project as a typical model of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany. He praised academic results of Vietnamese students, believing that they would contribute to Vietnam’s development and global integration.
The Minister-President expressed his wish to work closely with Vietnam in the fields of the state’s strength such as education-training, chemicals and mechanical engineering.
In a meeting with Speaker of the Parliament of Hessen state Norbert Kartmann, PM Phuc appreciated the support of the state’s leaders and parliamentarians in developing relations between Vietnam and Germany in general, and between Vietnam and Hessen state in particular.
He asked leaders and parliamentarians of Hessen to strengthen cooperation between the State Parliament with the Vietnamese National Assembly and People’s Councils of major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city and central Da Nang city, in sharing experience in building a State of law, making laws, managing public investment, public-private partnership, e-commerce and urban management.
Kartmann said there are great potential for enterprises of Hessen to invest in Vietnam, revealing that a number of Hessen companies have effectively operated in Vietnam.
He also spoke highly Vietnam’s reform efforts and dynamic economic development, expressing his belief in the fruitful development of cooperative ties between the two countries in all fields in the coming time.
Hessen state will further contribute to promoting the Strategic Partnership between the two nations, he affirmed.
Later on the same day, PM Phuc will leave Hessen for Berlin, continuing activities within the framework of his visit to Germany.
Located in central Germany, Hessen state is one of the country’s largest economic hubs and Europe’s strong development areas. The state is known for chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, manufacturing, auto production and engineering. Frankfurt, the state’s largest city and financial hub, is home to headquarters of the European Central Bank, Germany central bank – Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, and branches of over 400 foreign banks.
Since launching the Frankfurt -Vietnam direct air route in 2007, Hessen state has proved its important role in promoting the economic and trade ties between the two countries.
Two-way trade between Vietnam and Frankfurt is currently at USD1 billion, or one eight of the total trade value between the two countries.
Hessen’s major companies are operating smoothly in Vietnam such as Bilfinger & Berger construction group, B.Braun Melsungen medical equipment production firm, Messer gas production group, Commerzbank, and Deutsche Bank.
In September 2011, the Vietnam JS Commercial Bank for Industry and Commerce (Vietinbank) and FPT opened their representative offices in Frankfurt.
Vietnam and Hessen state have cooperated in training and education. From 1992, the state has provided about 110 scholarships a year for Vietnamese students via the Vietnam university support organisation (WUS).
The two sides signed a joint statement on cooperation in tertiary training in 2005. They also inked a letter of intent on the formation of Germany-Vietnam University in Vietnam which was launched in September 2008 during a visit to the Southeast Asian nation by Hessen Minister President Roland Koch./.