Study trip to Berlin, Germany
HSF hosted the National Assembly of Vietnam in Germany to provide a political information exchange
The Delegation of the National Assembly of Vietnam in discussion with members of the Federal Council
HSF
Parliament delegation from Vietnam in Berlin to exchange information
During the week in Berlin the delegation of the National Assembly of Vietnam got in touch with several political and academical German institutions. At the first day the visit of the Berlin School of Economics and Law provided an interesting lecture and discussion with Prof. Dr. Jose Magone about “What is Good Governance: An Example of Good Governance in Germany and Europe”. Afterwards Dr. Verónica Tomai introduced the Council of Sustainable Development, its tasks and the German sustainability strategy and policy.
Visit of the German Bundestag and the Federal Council
The visit of the German Bundestag and the Federal Council gave the Vietnamese delegation an interesting view into German Politics and was followed by a fruitful discussion with new ideas and concepts. Two of the expert talks were held with the head of the departments of Education, Training and Social Affairs as well as with the head of the departments of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, Education and Research.
Federal Minister Gerd Müller, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Member of Parliament Wolfgang Stefinger (CSU) in conversation with a Vietnamese parliamentary delegation on good governance in parliament.
HSF
In addition to the visit of the German Bundestag and the Federal Council, the delegation got an impression of the Reichstag building including a visit to the dome and the plenary hall. As the article 42 of the German Constitution determines that the German Bundestag negotiates open to the public the German citizens can follow the parliamentary debate via a live broadcast and can rebroadcast discussions, interviews and debates since October 2009. The Ministerial Advisor, Dr. Maika Jachmann, showed the Delegation around the television broadcasting service of the Parliament to round up the visit.
Sustainable Development in Germany
As Vietnam also promotes the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the HSF arranged a visit and several discussions with employees of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Mrs. Vollmer, who is working for the department of Renewable Energies, introduced the Delegation the “Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz” (Renewable Energy Law) and Mr. Reißmann who is currently working at the department of sustainable spatial development and environmental audit gave an insight of their work.
A special experience for the Vietnamese delegation was the visit of Berlin’s first supermarket called “Original Unverpackt” (original unpacked) which completely dispenses packaging.
Interview with Prof. Dr. Le Bo Linh
Prof. Dr. Le Bo Linh, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnamese Parliament and Deputy Director of the Parliamentary Administration on German-Vietnamese Relations strongly emphasized with the work between Vietnam and Germany:
Between Vietnam and Germany is a good cooperation which has been built up for many years. In the areas of “good governance”, “environmental protection” and “sustainable development”, Vietnam can learn a lot from the experience of Germany. Although there will not be a Federal Council in Vietnam like in Germany, the presented mechanisms of participation in the legislation can be very interesting for Vietnam to involve the provinces more into the process.
The National Assembly and the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation
The National Assembly is one of the most important legislative institution in Vietnam and is a new partner of the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation since 2017. The HSF supports the parliamentary administration in providing expertise to parliamentarians, especially in the field of social and environmental policy. This should strengthen the know-how of the deputies and support another emancipatory process of the National Assembly.