Vietnam and Germany formally established a strategic partnership on Tuesday, focusing on political relationship, trade and investment, legislation, education, and science and technology. The two countries decided to bring their bilateral relationship to a higher plane during the official visit to Vietnam by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who in formal talks with her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi pledged stronger backing for Vietnam.

The two countries decided to bring their bilateral relationship to a higher plane during the official visit to Vietnam by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who in formal talks with her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi pledged stronger backing for Vietnam. The joint communiqué formalizing the strategic partnership was issued after the high-ranking meeting, where the two governments agreed to establish a steering team co-chaired by the two countries’ foreign ministers to step up strategic cooperation. Speaking to media after the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Germany pledged to increased official development assistance for Vietnam, especially in areas of environmental protection, adaptation to climate change, vocational training, and health care. “During the visit, the federal government of Germany pledged to provide over US$400 million in ODA and preferential credits for development projects in Vietnam,” Dung said. He added Germany also agreed to help Vietnam in infrastructure development. Vietnam and Germany will push for the development of the second metro project in HCMC, a project largely funded by Germany that is expected to help attract more investments into Vietnam, the Vietnamese leader said. Chancellor Merkel, for her part, referred to the project as a “lighthouse” that would stimulate other projects in Vietnam. “We expect the second metro project (in HCMC) to be completed early,” she said. The area of education and training was also highlighted during the formal meeting. Germany will continue its support for the development of the Vietnam-Germany University to make it a top-rated research institute in the region. Besides more scholarships to be granted to Vietnamese students, Merkel said some well-known research institutes in Germany would be ready to cooperate with Vietnam in this field. The two government leaders on Tuesday also witnessed the signing of several agreements, including a government-to-government agreement on financial cooperation, an agreement on the project of the German House in HCMC, and a letter of intent on continued cooperation in legislation. Germany is currently the biggest European investor in Vietnam, and the second European country behind the UK to establish strategic partnership with Vietnam.