trade ties in the years to come, following a gathering to mark the 35 th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in Ho Chi
Minh City on September 30.
Nguyen Huu Thien,
President of the HCM City Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association, said
he believed that the multi-faceted relationship between Vietnam and
Germany , including HCM City , would continue to grow and reach a
new height.
Germany ’s Consul-General in HCM
City , Conrad Cappell, said Germany was Vietnam ’s biggest trading
partner in the EU, as two way trade turnover reached 4.6 billion USD in
2009 and is expected to hit 5 billion USD in 2010.
Germany is always interested in the Vietnamese market and is
currently carrying out a number of economic and trade projects in
Vietnam , he said.
The German diplomat however,
acknowledged his country’s low position of the 22 nd in the list of the
90 countries and territories having invested in Vietnam , which he
said would change in the years to come.
“More and
more German businesses will invest in Vietnam , especially in new
energy, bio-technology and information technology, which are Germany
’s strengths,” Cappell emphasised.
He announced that a 120-strong trade mission would conduct market research in Vietnam in November.
The two officials shared the view that the Vietnamese community in
Germany , with a population of nearly 100,000, tens of thousands of
academics and former workers and specialists will serve as a bridge to
connect both peoples together and help boost bilateral relations./.
