With his state visit to Viet Nam, Federal President Steinmeier underscored Germany’s intention to expand international partnerships and strengthen political relations with Southeast Asia. Economic ties with the region are also to be intensified. The Federal President was accompanied by a business delegation.
In Hanoi, the Federal President met with President Vo Van Thuong, as well as with Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the National Assembly, for political talks.
During his visit, the Federal President paid tribute to the special economic and cultural relations between the two countries. Directly after the German delegation arrived, further cooperation programmes were agreed, particularly for recruiting skilled workers. In the Goethe-Institut this morning, we saw for ourselves how well Vietnamese young people are being prepared for taking up work in the health sector, in engineering or in IT in Germany. I am delighted that the labour ministers of our two countries have just signed an agreement facilitating access to the German labour market.
During a discussion on professional and personal migration experiences, the Federal President was able to gain an insight into the lives of people commuting between the two countries. We are not just talking about relations between presidents and governments but about arrangements and institutions that have been established at the social and economic level and underpin the relations between our two countries,
as the Federal President underscored in talks with the Vietnamese President, Vo Van Thuong.
Germany is the most important European trading partner for the Southeast Asian country with the volume of trade between the two countries totalling some 18 billion euro. However, the Federal President believes that the economic potential of cooperation is far from being fully tapped.
Federal President Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender traveled on to the second stop of the state visit: Ho Chi Minh City. Viet Nam’s economic motor
, as the Federal President called it. German businesses are playing a significant role here.” In Ho Chi Minh City, the Federal President met with representatives from German businesses to talk about future prospects for economic and trade relations. For the Federal President, Viet Nam has developed into a strategic partner for Germany. “The shortage of workers in Germany will no doubt continue, meaning we need skilled immigration also from this region.
A visit to the Vietnamese-German University was also on the programme. For us Germans, Viet Nam is a real anchor in the region, and we have a keen interest in close exchange,
as the Federal President highlighted. The project involving Viet Nam, Land Hesse and the Federal Government began at Hesse’s initiative and aims to develop a research university based on the German model. We believe in connectivity rather than isolation. We believe in more cooperation rather than less.
To conclude his two-day visit to Viet Nam, the Federal President spoke with representatives of non-governmental organisations about human trafficking and women’s rights. Human traffickers regularly use legal and illegal migration routes for their own ends and canvass in poor provinces.
The Federal President then traveled on to Thailand for an official visit.
Overview of the programme
Monday, 22 January 2024
- Afternoon [CET]
Flight to Hanoi/Viet Nam
Tuesday, 23 January 2024
- Morning [CET +6]
Arrival in Hanoi - 12.15 p.m.
Visit to the Confucian Temple of Literature in Hanoi - Thereafter, Goethe-Institut
Event on attracting skilled workers as well as discussion on migration experiences and biographies - Afternoon, Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs
Wreath-laying ceremony - Thereafter, official residence of the President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Welcome with military honours by President Vo Van Thuong - Thereafter
Talks with the President - 3.45 p.m.
Joint press conference - Thereafter, headquarters of the Communist Party of Viet Nam
Talks with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, Nguyen Phu Trong - Thereafter, seat of the National Assembly
Talks with the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Vuong Dinh Hue - Evening, International Conference Centre (ICC)
Speech at the state banquet hosted by the President
Wednesday, 24 January 2024
- Morning, official residence of the Prime Minister
Talks with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Pham Minh Chinh - Thereafter
Flight to Ho Chi Minh City - 1.00 p.m., German House Ho Chi Minh City
Lunch with representatives of German business in Viet Nam at the invitation of the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad in Viet Nam and the German Business Association - 3.15 p.m. Vietnamese-German University
Tour of the campus as well as speech to students and lecturers - Thereafter
Discussion with German and Vietnamese students and lecturers - Evening, Restaurant Du Du Xanh
Talks with experts on human trafficking and women’s rights - Evening
Flight to Bangkok/Thailand
