At the meeting, Mr. Vu Quang Minh, Vietnam's ambassador to Germany, informed the recent development of Vietnam-Germany bilateral relations and the sister city relationships between Vietnamese cities and German localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Leipzig.
Accordingly, Leipzig has a close relationship with Vietnam in many areas and regularly maintains close contact with the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany to discuss cooperation programs, especially in organizing activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany and the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on establishing a friendly cooperation relationship with Ho Chi Minh City.
In a discussion with the Ambassador of Vietnam to Germany, Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City delegation of National Assembly (NA) deputies Ha Phuoc Thang said that the city’s delegation hoped to exchange directions and measures to further promote cooperative relations between Ho Chi Minh City and Leipzig, thereby contributing more to the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership.
Minister Counsellor Chu Tuan Duc also shared information on economic and trade cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Leipzig, which is a key area in the bilateral cooperation at the local level and is always highly valued by the German city.
Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City can promote cooperation in science and technology with Leipzig, particularly in fields such as healthcare and energy transition, which are Leipzig's strengths. In addition, labor cooperation is also an area with great potential, especially in the context of Germany's population aging and the severe shortage of skilled and unskilled workforce.
Head of the city’s Enterprise Management and Innovation Board, Tran Anh Tuan provided information on the city's key projects, aimed at transforming Ho Chi Minh City into a smart city and a financial, scientific, and technological hub for the region and the world.
Ho Chi Minh City's economic development strategy for the coming years will focus on areas such as science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI), the digital economy, and the circular economy. The city plans to implement 84 investment projects in 2025 across fields including high-tech, education, transportation, and other sectors, with a total investment of US$11.6 billion. The city has requested the Vietnamese Embassy and other Vietnamese representative offices in Germany to assist in connecting and promoting investment for these projects.
Sharing experiences in developing social housing
At the working session with Leipzig, the German city’s leaders informed its key goals, action programs, development strategies, and cooperation plans for the coming time. In particular, the city focuses on strengthening, consolidating, and expanding international cooperation with major cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, in various fields such as economy, culture, sports, healthcare, and education.
Mr. Ha Phuoc Thang emphasized the similarities between the two cities and proposed cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Leipzig in many fields, including climate change adaptation, green energy transition, renewable energy, and sustainable energy sources such as wind power, solar power, biomass energy, and hydroelectricity; vocational education and training; labor exchange; logistics development; urban railways; and financial centers.
Regarding the housing development strategy, the Vietnamese Government has launched a national housing development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045. Vietnam has set a target of building one million houses for workers and low-income people by 2030. Of this figure, HCMC will build 70,000 houses.
The HCMC delegation hoped that Leipzig would share its experiences in developing social housing, particularly in land planning for housing development, investment capital sources, and policies to help residents access social housing.
The two sides also discussed social housing development, healthcare, and public transportation development. In the healthcare sector, Leipzig has supported Ho Chi Minh City in training and sending experts to share experiences with hospitals in the city.
The Vietnam-Germany relationship has been continuously strengthened, nurtured, and developed, achieving many significant achievements. The year 2025 will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1975-2025) and the 10th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City establishing a sister city relationship with Leipzig. Notably, since July 2021, the Leipzig City Council has approved the decision to upgrade the relationship with Ho Chi Minh City from a sister city to a partner city.
The cooperative relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and German localities is developing positively, especially in the economic sector. Currently, Germany has 252 investment projects in Ho Chi Minh City with a total registered capital of over US$378 million, ranking 14th out of 122 countries and territories investing in Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, there are 40 representative offices of German economic organizations in Ho Chi Minh City. The German Business Association in Vietnam has operated in the city since 2018 and serves as an important bridge to promote economic cooperation.
