(VOVworld) - Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung said Vietnam’s relations with members of the G20 are being expanded and intensified.

Then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (back, fifth from right) and other leaders pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the G20 Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, in November 2010 (Photo: VNA)

In an interview on the threshold of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, Mr. Hung said 10 G20 members have strategic partnerships with Vietnam and two others have comprehensive partnerships. Vietnam attended a G20 summit for the first time in 2010 as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Hung said that while it has not taken part in a G20 summit since 2010, Vietnam has kept a close eye on the G20.

Ambassador Hung said that in 2017, Vietnam, as the host of the APEC Year, was invited to the G20 Summit and related meetings. This was the first time an APEC host country who is not a member of the G20 was ever invited to a G20 summit.

The theme of G20 meetings this year – “Shaping an interconnected world” – shares similarities with priorities of the APEC Year 2017 - sustainable, creative, and inclusive growth; economic, trade, and investment connectivity; innovation; and cooperation in fighting climate change. This is an opportunity to connect the agenda focuses of APEC and the G20 so as to increase regional and global economic coordination.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will lead a Vietnamese delegation to the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting.