Talking to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of a state visit on January 23 - 24, Thinh considered the trip as an important milestone in bilateral relations, a demonstration of continuous successes of Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” and stature in the international arena, and also an affirmation by the German Government that Vietnam is a strategic partner with a new standing.
He noted that the Vietnamese and Vietnamese-origin community in Germany hope the enterprises accompanying President Steinmeier during the visit will sign many cooperation deals on diplomacy, politics, science - technology, economy, culture, and tourism with the Vietnamese side.
The community are glad about the visit as they also consider this a good sign for them to implement more activities to contribute to the homeland.
Thinh expressed his hope that the two countries’ cooperation potential will be better tapped into to develop their strategic cooperation more intensively and extensively, thereby contributing to both sides’ prosperous development.
Mentioning scientific and technological cooperation, he said Vietnam is an important partner of many German ministries and sectors. Over the past years, the European country has carried out many programmes to assist Vietnam in many areas such as the International Climate Initiative, the Export Initiative Environmental Protection, climate protection, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the realisation of the net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Germany is strong at scientific research serving green growth, green technology development, climate protection, and climate change adaptation, which are also the fields Vietnam have had many cooperation projects on with and received financial aid from Germany.
The two sides have also worked together in machinery engineering, health care, Industry 4.0 technology, innovation, startup, human resources training, and exchange of high-quality manpower, Thinh said, noting that these fields boast huge potential needing to be further capitalised on via bilateral connections at all levels, from central to local ones.
With regard to the innovation network he currently chairs, Thinh said the network, established in September 2019, has held frequent activities to connect Vietnamese and Vietnamese-origin intellectuals, experts, scientists, undergraduates, and post-graduates in Germany with those in the homeland and the world. It has also organised workshops to help promote the competitiveness and stature of Vietnamese intellectuals in Germany, and built projects on technology transfer, scientific - technological cooperation, and sci-tech application in the Southeast Asian country.
In the coming time, it will boost support for the Vietnam National Innovation Centre in terms of innovation and modern technology development, he added.
