President Vo Van Thuong hosts a welcoming ceremony for his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Presidential Palace, including a 21-gun salute at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.
Steinmeier and his spouse Elke Budenbender then visit the Temple of Literature, a historical site in Hanoi.
The president and his wife listen to the history of the site.
In 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong had the Temple of Literature built to worship Confucius and other scholars. In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong had the Imperial Academy built next to the Temple of Literature, becoming Vietnam's first university.
In 1484, King Le Thanh Tong ordered the stone steles to be erected at the Temple to honor royal examination laureates.
Steinmeier and Budenbender are visiting Vietnam for Tuesday and Wednesday at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong and his spouse Phan Thi Thanh Tam. This is the first time a German president has visited Vietnam in 17 years.
Steinmeier waves goodbye as he leaves the Temple of Literature.
Steinmeier, 68, visited Vietnam as foreign minister in 2008, and as deputy prime minister in 2016. He has made several contributions to the Vietnam-Germany relationship, and cares for the development and integration of the Vietnamese community in Germany.
The president and his spouse stop for a coffee before walking to the Goethe Institute.
The Goethe Institute is a German non-profit cultural organization that operates worldwide. The institute teaches German and facilitates international cultural exchanges.
At the Goethe Institute, Steinmeier and German Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Hubertus Heil observed nurses doing their job – the nurses were candidates hoping to further their careers in Germany.
Steinmeier had an exchange with students at the LILAMA2 International Technology College. The students are preparing to travel to Germany to study mechanics.
Vietnam and Germany's official cooperation in education and training began in 1990. Every year, Germany provides Vietnam with several scholarships for post-graduates and doctors. There are currently around 300 Vietnamese interns receiving research scholarships, and around 7,500 Vietnamese students studying at universities in Germany.
