The First Vietnam-Germany Economic Conference on Climate Change and Energy was held in Vietnamese southern Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

The conference, organized by German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, gathered participation of more than 200 representatives of companies from Vietnam, Germany and Europe. Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and German Ambassador to Vietnam Rolf Schulze also attended the conference.

At the conference, the participants discussed business prospects for German and European companies in Vietnam, particularly in climate change and energy.

They also highlighted the significance of finding measures to cope with impacts of global climate change and emphasized the need to use effective, clean and alternative energies and sustainable production models to combat this phenomenon.

The participants hoped that through this conference, German and European companies can explore more business opportunities with Vietnamese companies and there will be more new projects and effective solutions for the climate change issue in Vietnam.

Speaking at the conference, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang praised the initiative of German businesses to organize such a conference which discussed heated issues, global climate change and energy.

Vietnam and Germany can share experiences and work together to overcome difficulties and challenges in global climate change and energy, he said.

Hoang also spoke highly of the effective cooperation between the two countries in investment, trade and official development assistance projects, saying the bilateral ties will achieve fruitful results in the future.

German Ambassador to Vietnam Rolf Schulze expressed his belief at the meeting that this economic conference, one of activities in the "Germany Year in Vietnam" to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, will make great contributions to enhancing the economic cooperation between Vietnam and Germany.