Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Loc Ha, expressed his pleasure at the deepening and increasingly effective friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Germany over the past half-century, particularly since the two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership in 2011, nearly 15 years ago.
In terms of economic relations, Germany is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner in Europe. In the first half of 2025, bilateral trade exceeded US$6.6 billion. Germany currently has over 530 enterprises operating in Vietnam and ranks among the country’s largest providers of official development assistance (ODA), actively supporting Vietnam in various vocational training and climate change adaptation projects.
According to Mr. Nguyen Loc Ha, the strong relationship between the two countries is not only reflected in figures or agreements but also in the close cultural and people-to-people ties that have flourished over the decades. Over the past half-century, Germany has trained tens of thousands of Vietnamese officials, experts, engineers, and students and has become a “second home” to a community of more than 200,000 Vietnamese.
Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Loc Ha, emphasized that the cultural, spiritual, and human affinity between the two nations has served as a unifying force, fostering a Vietnam–Germany relationship that continues to grow deeper, more diverse, and rich in humanistic values.
As for Ho Chi Minh City, the city places great value on its relationships with German localities, most notably its decade-long partnership with the city of Leipzig.
Mr. Nguyen Loc Ha affirmed that, building on the solid foundation established over the years, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to work closely with the German Consulate General in the city, as well as with German investors and enterprises, to further promote cooperation in key areas such as healthcare, finance, science and technology, smart urban development, human resource training, and climate change adaptation.
Meanwhile, Ms. Andrea Maria Sühl, German Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that economic cooperation between Germany and Vietnam is progressing positively. The German Business Association (GBA) in Vietnam now has over 500 members. With increasingly attractive investment conditions in Vietnam, many German companies are expected to decide to invest and operate in the country.
Beyond economic ties, Germany and Vietnam are also cooperating closely in the field of healthcare. Cultural exchange activities, such as musical performances, exhibitions, and film festivals, have significantly contributed to promoting Vietnamese culture in Germany and German culture in Vietnam. Many young Vietnamese have chosen to pursue their studies in Germany. Together with the Vietnamese community in Germany and the German community in Vietnam, they serve as key bridges between the two countries.
The German Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City believed that numerous opportunities for deepened cooperation between Germany and Vietnam in general, and between German localities and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, are emerging. These include training specialists for the Ho Chi Minh City International Financial Center and collaboration on sustainable urban development and transportation, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and green technology.
Ms. Andrea Maria Sühl stated that the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries is not only an occasion to reflect on the past but also a new beginning toward a promising future.
