Vietnam businesses in Germany asked to boost investment Vietnamese businesses in Germany have been called to help increase German investments in Vietnam and vice versa. The businesses gathered in Berlin on December 22 for the fourth congress of the Vietnam Business Association (VBA) to seek ways for operating more efficiently. They were urged to mainstream their operations in preparatory activities for the 40th anniversary year of the two countries’ diplomatic ties in 2015. Reviewing the association’s activities, VBA Chairman, Vo Van Long, said many overseas Vietnamese owned businesses have created jobs not only for Vietnamese but also German and other foreign workers. In the coming time, the VBA plans to expand its membership to other regions in Germany and restructure itself according to industries, Long added. Present at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh told the participants that the Vietnam-Germany relationship is flourishing with the establishment of a strategic partnership. Germany remains Vietnam’s largest trade partner in the EU, she said, adding that some Vietnamese businesses, including the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) and FPT Telecom Corporation, have invested in the European country. The congress elected a new 17-member executive board with Pham Ngoc Ky as new VBA Chairman. According to incomplete statistics, Germany is now home to about 125,000 Vietnamese people and more than 8,000 enterprises run by Vietnamese. (VNA)