Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong received the Secretary of State of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany

(MPI) - On October 28, 2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning and Investment , Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong received Ms. Bärbel Kofler, State Secretary, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Federal Republic of Germany. Attending the reception was Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam Helga Margarete.

Overview of the reception. Photo: MPI

Welcoming Ms. Bärbel Kofler and Ambassador Helga Margarete to visit and work at the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong expressed his joy at seeing the increasingly good development of relations between Vietnam and Germany in all aspects, as Germany is currently Vietnam's largest trade partner in the EU. On this occasion, the Deputy Minister conveyed the congratulations of Minister Nguyen Chi Dung to the new German Ambassador to Vietnam, expressing his hope that she will continue to promote the cooperative relationship between the two countries.

Discussing some issues that Germany is interested in, especially the draft Law on Public Investment (amended), the Deputy Minister said that this draft Law will have policies to promote the implementation and disbursement of ODA capital and preferential loans from foreign donors, including projects funded by Germany.

The Deputy Minister informed that the main contents of the amendments and supplements will include decentralization of authority, simplification of procedures for approval, adjustment of investment policies, investment decisions for projects using foreign capital; supplementing regulations on capital arrangement time for projects using foreign capital and disbursement of foreign capital plans; supplementing regulations on stopping the use of ODA capital at each stage of the program and project; simplifying the implementation of projects using non-refundable ODA capital.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that the Vietnamese Government always welcomes and appreciates the support of the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of development cooperation over the past time; expressing the hope that the two countries will continue to strengthen multi-faceted cooperation such as trade - investment, energy conversion, labor and vocational training. The Ministry of Planning and Investment affirmed that it will closely coordinate with the German Embassy and development partners to provide appropriate information related to current laws.

For her part, Ms. Bärbel Kofler thanked Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong for the information shared and emphasized that the two countries have closely cooperated in many areas, including labor cooperation, energy transition cooperation and development cooperation.

The German government, through the KfW and GIZ banks, has worked with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities to promote the implementation of projects focusing on climate, environmental protection, energy, sustainable development of the Mekong Delta, etc. In addition, the large Vietnamese community in Germany, along with international students and postgraduates, are important "bridges" for the relationship between the two countries, creating exchanges and promoting vibrant economic development.

Ms. Bärbel Kofler expressed her belief that positive policy changes will speed up the implementation of ODA projects funded by the German Government, as well as create a clear and favorable legal corridor for German enterprises to invest and do business in Vietnam./.

Bao Linh

Ministry of Planning and Investment

Source: https://www.mpi.gov.vn/portal/Pages/2024-10-29/Minister-Tran-Quoc-Phuong-tiep-Quoc-vu-khanh-Bo-km9h69.aspx