Việt Nam seeks greater co-operation with Hamburg

Việt Nam looks forward to further co-operation with the city of Hamburg in science and technology, logistics and shipping ports, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said yesterday.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (L) meets First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz yesterday. — Photo VGP

HAMBURG, Germany — Việt Nam looks forward to further co-operation with the city of Hamburg in science and technology, logistics and shipping ports, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said yesterday.

Meeting with First Mayor of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz, as part of his official visit to Germany, PM Phúc asked that the state encourages its businesses to invest in Việt Nam, especially in areas of their strength, including shipbuilding, petro-chemistry, aviation and aerospace, electronics, precision mechanics, chemicals and optical equipment.

He also suggested that Hamburg strengthens co-operation in seaport management, planning and development with port cities in Việt Nam, like Đà Nẵng, Hải Phòng, and HCM City, helping them achieve international scale and standards.

Mayor Scholz expressed his pleasure at the positive development steps taken in the strategic partnership between the two nations in all areas, particularly trade and investment. He said Hamburg had made a remarkable contribution to this effort.

He noted that Hamburg is home to the second largest system of seaports in Europe and the third largest in the world, with 145 million tonnes of cargo transiting them each year.

Hamburg is also a major gateway for Vietnamese goods to enter Germany and Europe, Scholz said, adding that the number of containers from and to Việt Nam through the Hamburg port increased by 50 percent in recent years.

The Mayor welcomed the PM’s proposals, saying Hamburg would work with Việt Nam on deploying co-operation initiatives in the future.

He also spoke highly of contributions made by the Vietnamese community in Hamburg to strengthening friendship as well as trade and investment ties between the German city and Việt Nam. — VNS