He made the remarks during a working session with a delegation of the Hanoi People’s Council, led by Vice Chairwoman Pham Thi Thanh Mai, at Frankfurt’s Römer City Hall on September 28 to discuss opportunities to strengthen economic and tourism ties between the two cities.

Kößler described Hanoi and Frankfurt as “drivers of their respective regions and gateways to the world.” He said Hanoi is one of Southeast Asia’s dynamic economic centres, with strong growth, innovation capacity and future-oriented industries.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, is one of Europe’s leading financial and logistics hubs, home to an international airport and the DE-CIX Internet exchange. These advantages could make the city an ideal gateway for Vietnamese businesses seeking to expand into the European market, he said.

Mai, for her part, said Hanoi wants to further deepen its cooperation with Frankfurt and Hessen state and hopes to attract more businesses, investors and tourists from the German city and state.

According to Mai, Frankfurt is a gateway to Germany for many Vietnamese people. Direct air routes connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Frankfurt, together with growing economic ties, provide an important foundation for stronger connectivity between the two sides.

Cultural ties have also been strengthened through activities of the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi and various cultural and artistic exchange programmes.

Economic cooperation between Frankfurt and Vietnam has developed over many years. Frankfurt Economic Development established ties with Vietnam following a visit in 2009, while VietinBank established a presence in Frankfurt a year later. During 2022-2023, FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region (FRM GmbH) opened a representative office in Vietnam.

A number of businesses and organisations from Frankfurt and Hessen state have also expanded their operations in Vietnam. Messe Frankfurt has organised and participated in trade fairs in the country, while Frankfurt-based Deutsche Bank and KfW maintain offices or branches in Vietnam. Hessen-based companies including Messer, Stada and Braun have also developed production facilities in Vietnam.

The Frankfurt side noted Vietnam’s strong economic growth over recent decades and its emergence as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies, with Hanoi playing an important role in the national economy.

HCM City hopes for stronger ties with Germany’s Frankfurt city

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai met a visiting delegation of the German city of Frankfurt led by Mayor Peter Feldmann on July 4.