HANOI (AP) ― German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Vietnam’s capital Tuesday for a two-day visit to boost trade ties with the communist country, amid the European debt crisis.

Merkel and her Vietnamese counterpart, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, reviewed an honor guard Tuesday in Hanoi before the two headed for talks behind closed doors.

The two sides are expected to ink several agreements. Germany is Vietnam’s largest European trading partner.

Accompanied by a German business delegation, Merkel will also visit the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

She is scheduled to depart Vietnam on Wednesday and travel to Mongolia.

On Sunday, Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised to finalize a comprehensive response to Europe’s debt crisis by the end of the month.