(VOVworld) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said Germany is Vietnam’s leading EU trade partner.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh receives Vice President of German Parliament Edelgard Bulmahn (Photo: VNA)

At a reception for visiting German Parliament Vice President Edelgard Bulmahn on Tuesday, Mr. Minh asked the German Parliament to continue encouraging German enterprises to invest in Vietnam. Deputy Prime Minister Minh praised Germany for choosing Ho Chi Minh City to host the 14th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in November, saying that it is an important economic event that will help boost trade and investment ties between Germany and Asian-Pacific countries and Vietnam. Vice President Edelgard Bulmahn said the German Parliament always values its relations with Vietnam and helps the country develop ties with the European Union including early ratification of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Vietnam and the European Union, and an early conclusion of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two sides. Both sides agreed to work closely together to implement key joint projects, including the HCM City Metro route No2, the Vietnam-Germany University, and the German House in Vietnam. They will organize events to mark the 40^th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2015.

Earlier the same day, the German guest attended an international conference on peace keeping mission, jointly held by Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Institute and Sweden’s Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Hanoi.