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| German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaks at the exchange programme at the Vietnamese-German University__Photo: VNA |
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his spouse left Ho Chi Minh City on January 24 evening, concluding their state visit to Vietnam on January 23-24 at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse.
During their stay in Vietnam, the German President and his spouse laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son street, Hanoi.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the official welcome ceremony, held talks, witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents, met with the press, and joined a banquet with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong. He also met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.
At the talks and meetings, the Vietnamese leaders warmly welcomed the German President's state visit to Vietnam, expressing a belief that the visit would contribute to strengthening the friendship and political trust, creating motivation to comprehensively promote the Vietnam - Germany Strategic Partnership, for the benefit of the two countries' people as well as for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Thanking the Vietnamese leaders for their warm welcome, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his impression of Vietnam's dynamic socio-economic development. He emphasized the cohesion and mutual trust between the two countries have been continuously promoted over the past nearly 50 years. He affirmed a desire to enhance cooperation in various fields with Vietnam, particularly in trade and investment, energy transition, labor and vocational training, development cooperation, as well as close coordination in contribution to regional and global peace and cooperation.
The Vietnamese leaders stressed that in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of international relations, Vietnam always attaches importance to and prioritizes developing relations with Germany.
On this occasion, they thanked the State, Government, and people of Germany for supporting Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the support demonstrates the friendship and solidarity between the two countries, helping Vietnam control the pandemic, reopen its doors for socio-economic recovery and development.
In an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding, both sides exchanged views on major directions and measures to further deepen the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership, as well as shared regional and international issues of mutual concern.
While in Vietnam, the German President visited Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi, and met with Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders and visited the German House in the city. He also attended an exchange programme with students and lecturers of the Vietnamese-German University in the southern province of Binh Duong.
His spouse Elke Büdenbender and President Vo Van Thuong’s wife Phan Thi Thanh Tam watched a traditional water puppet show in Hanoi.
The state visit by the German President took place in the context that the bilateral relations are growing intensively and making practical progress in various fields. More importantly, this was President Steinmeier’s first overseas trip in 2024, and the first high-level official visit between the two countries in the year. This was the second visit to Vietnam by a German President since Germany’s reunification, following the first by President Horst Kohler in May 2007.- (VNA/VLLF)
