German business people in a meeting in Vietnam (Photo: Hong Phuc)

He made the remarks at a workshop titled Meet Germany 2017 co-held by the Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam and the Foreign Affairs Department in HCM City.

Germany is Vietnam’s biggest trade partner in the EU and acts as a key transit point for Vietnamese exports to Europe, Long said.

Speaking at the workshop, Iris Gleicke, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, spoke of Vietnam’s important geographic location. German firms have realized great potential for investment in Vietnam as a way to gain easier access to other countries in Southeast Asia, she said.

The workshop featured direct dialogue between local authorities and state agencies and 20 enterprises from Germany whose inquiries focused on procedures for starting an investment project in Vietnam.

Representatives from authorities of HCM City, Da Nang, Dong Nai, Long An and Binh Duong also provided German companies with updates on public administration reforms, including the application of information technology, making appointments via phones, and a 7-day service for granting an investment license.