The new centre was created as part of the co-operative programme in law and justice undertaken by Viet Nam's Ministry of Justice and the German government during the 2009-11 period and will be supported by Germany's Friedrich Ebert Institute for the first three years of its operations.

Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien told the opening ceremony that the establishment of the centre, which marked the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Germany, would create opportunities for legal experts and academics to engage in exchanges of research and information.

Lien, who is also rector of the Ha Noi University of Law, said the centre would hold professional training courses in both Vietnamese and German with lectures given by from German professors and would set up a legal library with thousands of volumes and documents in the near future.

The head of the Friedrich Ebert Institute, Anke Fuchs, said she hoped the centre's activities would contribute to the perfection of Viet Nam's legal system through introducing experiences from Germany and other countries. — VNS