Merkel wraps up 2-day visit to Vietnam

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday wrapped up her two-day visit to Vietnam at the invitation of her Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung. During her first-day stay in capital Hanoi, Merkel and Dung held talks during which the two leaders agreed to raise relationship between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership. The Vietnam-Germany strategic partnership would certainly be implemented in both depth and width and with efficiency towards long-term and stable direction for the interest of both peoples and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole, Dung said at talks. The German Chancellor also met with Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, who affirmed that the Vietnamese NA would do its utmost to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries for the interests of both sides as well as for peace and stability in the world. During Vietnam-Germany Economic Forum held in southern Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City on Wednesday, Merkel said Germany would continue to support Vietnam in enhancing comprehensive ties with the European Union (EU) and to gain its recognition of Vietnam as a market economy. Germany will also back Vietnam in its negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU. The visit to Vietnam by the German Chancellor and the Vietnam- Germany Economic Forum are said to be opportunities for both sides to further develop bilateral ties and economic cooperation between the two countries. Over the years, the Vietnam-Germany relations have finely developed in all fields. Currently Germany is one of Vietnam's important European trade partners, accounting for 19 percent of Vietnamese exports to Europe. In 2010, two-way trade turnover reached 4.1 billion U.S. dollars, up 18.5 percent year-on-year. In the first seven months, Vietnamese exports to Germany, mainly with foot wear, textiles and garments, wood-based items and seafood, were valued at 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, up 42 percent year-on-year, and imports from Germany mainly with machinery, equipment, automobiles, pharmaceutical products and chemicals, worth 1.1 billion U.S. dollars, up 14 percent, year-on-year. To date, with 167 projects capitalized at 850 million U.S. dollars, Germany ranks 5th among European countries, and 24th among 92 countries and regions investing in Vietnam. In the framework of Merkel's visit, Vietnam and Germany signed a number of documents, including the Hanoi Joint Statement, the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership for the future, the HCM City- Agreement on the "German House" in Vietnam, and the Letter of Intention between the two ministries of justice on continuing legal and judiciary cooperation.