As part of his working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany on October 1, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh held meetings with Vice President of the German Bundestag Bodo Ramelow, Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katharina Reiche, and Vice Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Premier of Rhineland-Palatinate Alexander Schweitzer.
During the discussions, leaders from both sides exchanged information on their respective national situations, bilateral relations, inter-parliamentary cooperation, and the partnership between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the SPD. Both sides expressed concerns over the increasingly unpredictable global landscape, particularly the rise of protectionism and escalating tariff retaliation measures.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh meets with German Minister of Economy and Energy Katharina Reiche. Photo: VGP/Nguyen Hoang.On this basis, Vietnam and Germany agreed on major orientations for future cooperation, prioritizing the promotion of trade and investment while expanding collaboration in areas where Vietnam has demand and Germany has strengths, such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, infrastructure, science and technology, and education and training.
On the same day in Vietnam, the National Agency for Innovation (Ministry of Science and Technology) and the German Development Cooperation Organization (GIZ) officially exchanged the Agreement on the Implementation of the Project “Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asian Countries” (CASE Vietnam).
Mr. Sascha Hocke, Deputy Country Director of GIZ Vietnam, and Mr. Nguyen Mai Duong, Director General of the Agency for Innovation, exchange the Implementation Agreement for the CASE Vietnam Project. Photo: Trung Nguyen.The project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and implemented by GIZ, designates the National Agency for Innovation as the recipient of technical support. CASE Vietnam comprises four main components: Research on innovation in renewable energy; Capacity building in research, application, and technology development; Promotion of technology transfer; and Implementation of related support activities.
The project focuses on establishing a scientific and practical foundation to foster innovation, development, and technology transfer in the energy sector. Implementation activities include assessing the technological capacity of enterprises and research institutes, strengthening linkages between research organizations and the business community in adopting international technologies, and forecasting human resource demand to support Vietnam’s ongoing energy transition.