Vietnam and Germany are marking 15 years of their Strategic Partnership, established on October 11, 2011, with cooperation spanning politics, trade, defence, education, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
The partnership was formalised through the Hanoi Joint Declaration, signed by Nguyen Tan Dung and Angela Merkel. It provided a framework for developing bilateral relations with a long-term vision.
German Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow described the progress as a miracle, saying such developments would have been unimaginable 50 years ago, when Vietnam was at war and Germany remained divided.
Political dialogue has become more regular. The eighth Vietnam-Germany Strategic Dialogue, held in Hanoi on June 11, 2026, focused on trade, investment, science and technology, energy transition, workforce training, defence and security.
Parliamentary cooperation has gained momentum. During his June 2026 visit, Ramelow met National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man. Both sides agreed to strengthen their partnership despite differences in parliamentary systems.
In September, National Assembly Vice President Nguyen Thi Thanh visited Germany and affirmed Vietnam’s wish to strengthen the partnership. She said the 16th National Assembly had established the Vietnam-Germany Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Defence cooperation, initiated in 1998, has expanded. It includes high-level exchanges, personnel training, military medicine and United Nations peacekeeping. A November 2022 agreement provided a framework for deeper collaboration.
Established in 2008 with support from Germany and international partners, the Vietnamese-German University is an example of educational cooperation. Its training models align with German standards, and it conducts research and works with businesses.
The German Academic Exchange Service, Goethe-Institut and universities in both countries support exchanges and joint research. Ramelow said tens of thousands of Vietnamese students are pursuing vocational training in Germany, where young Vietnamese can obtain dual qualifications recognised by both countries.
Joint research in science, technology and innovation covers biotechnology, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, disaster risk management and sustainable development.
Germany is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the European Union, while Vietnam is an important German partner in Southeast Asia. Germany’s Foreign Office said bilateral trade exceeded 21 billion EUR, or 23.6 billion USD, in 2025.
The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, effective since August 2020, improved market access. Vietnam exports electronics, garments, footwear, coffee and seafood, while Germany exports machinery, precision engineering products, pharmaceuticals and industrial technologies.
According to the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad in Vietnam, about 620 projects linked to German businesses had been identified in Vietnam by August 2026. They represented an estimated 3.7 billion USD in investment and at least 55,000 direct jobs.
Ramelow said more than 500 German companies operate in Vietnam and called the two countries gateways to Asian and European markets. The Vietnamese community in Germany numbers more than 200,000 and connects the societies through cultural, educational and economic exchanges.
In the next phase, Vietnam and Germany can deepen cooperation, expand investment and strengthen links between their people.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
