Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh received the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam
On the morning of May 6, comrade Le Hong Vinh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee received Ms. Helga Barth - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam.
Also receiving and working with the delegation were comrade Phung Thanh Vinh - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and leaders of a number of departments and branches.
The visit took place in the context of the two countries looking towards the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1975-2025), an opportunity to strengthen and expand cooperation areas between the Federal Republic of Germany and Nghe An province.
At the meeting, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that the Federal Republic of Germany is an important strategic partner of Vietnam and is also a country with a long-standing traditional relationship with Nghe An province.
Since the 1970s, the former GDR has sponsored the urban development planning of Vinh city, including typical projects such as the Quang Trung apartment complex put into use in 1974, a milestone contributing to the formation of the city's modern urban appearance during the post-war reconstruction period.
In addition, Germany also sponsored the construction of the Vietnam - Germany Vocational College, which is still operating effectively and plays an important role in training technical human resources not only for Nghe An province.
Another project that left a deep impression was the Ten-lơ-man Children's Cultural House (now the Vietnamese-German Children's Cultural House), a gift from the children of the GDR to the children of Vinh city, which opened in 1981 and is still operating effectively today.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that those projects and cooperation programs have created a solid foundation for the bilateral relationship, demonstrating the close and friendly feelings between the people of the two countries in general, between the former German Democratic Republic and the present-day Federal Republic of Germany and Nghe An province in particular.
Currently, the Federal Republic of Germany is an attractive destination in the field of labor cooperation and vocational training. Since 2016, Nghe An has had 109 workers working in Germany in the nursing field, contributing to the total of nearly 1,000 workers nationwide. Germany is also coordinating with the province to implement a dual vocational training program and provide safe and legal immigration advice.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that there are tens of thousands of Nghe An people currently living, studying and working in Germany. The Nghe An Association in Germany has made many positive contributions to the connection and support of the Vietnamese community and plays the role of a bridge of friendship between the two countries. In May 2025, the provincial leaders led by the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee will go to Germany to work and attend activities to celebrate the 135th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh.
Based on a general introduction of natural conditions, socio-economic development situation and especially human resource potential, Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh expressed his hope that the Ambassador and the delegation of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany would have a more comprehensive view of the development potential of Nghe An province.
From that foundation, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee suggested that with her role and position, the Ambassador would introduce and connect German citizens and businesses to Nghe An to travel, learn, as well as research investment cooperation opportunities in fields such as heavy industry, manufacturing, and automobile production - industries that are suitable for Germany's strengths and the province's development orientation.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that Nghe An province is committed to creating the most favorable conditions and applying appropriate incentive policies to effectively attract and support investors and businesses from the Federal Republic of Germany.
He also expressed his hope that the Ambassador would spend time visiting the mountainous districts in the west of the province, which are facing many difficulties in infrastructure and socio-economic conditions. These are areas that need attention and support for sustainable development in terms of environment, education and social security.
On behalf of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Helga Barth thanked the leaders of Nghe An province for their warm welcome and expressed her deep impression when visiting and working in Nghe An - the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh; as well as the dynamic development of the province, especially Vinh city and the system of industrial parks that are attracting investment.
Ambassador Helga Barth highly appreciated the tradition of cooperation of more than 50 years between Nghe An and German partners; at the same time, she said that there is still much potential to promote other areas of cooperation and hoped that the province would coordinate to implement them; especially vocational training and supply of high-skilled labor, areas in which Germany has great demand.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the German Embassy will organize a “Career Orientation Bus” in Vinh City at the end of June 2025. The event aims to provide official information about the German labor market to local workers and promote legal, fair and effective migration. She hopes to receive coordination and support from the province for the success of the event.
Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh acknowledged the Ambassador's proposal and pledged to direct relevant agencies to closely coordinate to effectively organize the program "Career Orientation Bus in Vinh City", contributing to career orientation and raising legal awareness for Nghe An workers about the German labor market.
At the end of the working session, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed: With the foundation of more than 50 years of cooperation, he believes that the relationship between Nghe An province and the Federal Republic of Germany will continue to develop strongly, substantially and sustainably; at the same time, he expressed his hope that, like her predecessor, the Ambassador will continue to foster close ties with Nghe An and become an effective bridge in bilateral cooperation between the locality and German partners.
On September 23, 1975, Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Germany officially established diplomatic relations. Over the past half century, the relationship between the two countries has been continuously strengthened and developed extensively in many fields. An important milestone was in 2011, when the two sides officially upgraded their relationship to Strategic Partnership, creating a solid foundation for comprehensive, effective and sustainable cooperation.
In Nghe An, the cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany continues to be effectively implemented through ODA projects in the health and energy sectors. Currently, the province is implementing two German ODA projects in the health sector, with a total investment of over 6 million euros, contributing to improving the quality of health care for the people.
At the same time, the project "Nam Cam 110kV Transmission Line and Substation" using ODA loans from Germany is being implemented to enhance the capacity of electricity transmission and distribution in the Southeast Economic Zone - the driving force for industrial development of the province. This project is of great significance in promoting industrialization, modernization and urban development in the area. In the field of trade, in 2024, the export turnover from Nghe An to Germany will reach over 54 million USD and the import turnover from Germany will reach over 6.8 million USD.
