German Business Association Celebrates 25th Anniversary

German Business Association recently organized its 25th anniversary. The event was attended by board members from affiliated Business Associations and Chambers of Commerce and more than 300 guests, representatives of the member corporations, long-standing friends and partners. Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, underlined the importance of the German Business Association for strengthening and shaping the good relationships between Vietnam and Germany. GBA Co-Chairman Alexander Goetz stated, “2020 is not only a special year for our GBA, but also marks 30 years of the reunification of the Federal Republic of Germany and 45 years of Vietnamese-German diplomatic relationships. Since diplomatic relations were established, the two sides have built stronger connections through trade, investment, and co-operation.”

The GBA strongly supported the lighthouse project Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City, which was opened in 2018 and is the home of the GBA today. Former GBA Chairmen joined delegations to Brussels to promote the EVFTA, which finally came into force this year. 2020 was also the year of the global pandemic and travel restrictions, as protective measures against Covid-19, were tense for the German Business Community. Together with the AHK Vietnam, the GBA brought over 400 German and European experts and their families into Vietnam with two special relocation flights. In the future, the GBA is planning on further strengthen bilateral ties and trade exchange between Germany and

Vietnam by merging with the Delegation of the German Industry and Commerce (GIC/AHK) in a bilateral German Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce.

By Nguyen Mai, Vietnam Business Forum