WNAM REPORT: Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s state visit to Ireland from October 1-4 at the invitation of Irish President Michael D.Higgins, the first by a head of state of Vietnam to the European country since the two sides set up their diplomatic relations in 1996, is expected to bring bilateral ties to a new development stage.
Sharing many similarities in history and culture, Vietnam and Ireland boast great advantages to strengthen mutual understanding and become closer together. After 28 years of establishing diplomatic relations, the two sides have enjoyed great progress in their friendship and cooperation through regular delegation exchanges.
Particularly, during Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son’s visit to Ireland in February 2024, the two countries agreed to continue increasing delegation exchanges and meetings at high and all levels, enhancing the effectiveness of parliamentary cooperation, effectively implementing cooperation mechanisms, strengthening close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums such as the UN and ASEAN-EU cooperation mechanisms.
The Irish side suggested that Vietnam open an embassy in Ireland to further strengthen bilateral relations, while the Vietnamese side proposed that Ireland encourage businesses to invest in Vietnam in areas where Ireland is strong in and Vietnam needs such as digital transformation, energy transformation, and high-tech agriculture.
The two sides have coordinated closely at multilateral forums and international organisations. Both support multilateralism, international order based on international law, and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter.
Economic and trade cooperation is currently a key pillar in bilateral relations based on the effective implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Ireland is now Vietnam’s sixth largest trading partner among EU members, with two-way trade reaching 3.5 billion USD in 2023 and 2.73 billion USD in the first seven months of 2024.
Regarding investment, Ireland is investing in 41 projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of 44.32 million USD, ranking 61st out of 141 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. Irish businesses have invested in areas where Ireland has strengths and Vietnam has great potential such as green technology, renewable energy, healthcare, innovation, and high-tech agriculture.
In terms of development cooperation, Ireland considers Vietnam a priority partner in its development cooperation policy, focusing on the fields of education, gender equality, climate change response, and support for ethnic minorities. Ireland has provided non-refundable ODA for Vietnam in the fields of poverty reduction, education and training, support for people with disabilities, and mine clearance.
Recently, Ireland has offered humanitarian aid worth 250,000 EUR (278,463 USD) to Vietnam to help overcome the consequences of Typhoon Yagi. This aid, through the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been providing emergency clean water and sanitation supplies for affected families.
Besides, bilateral collaboration in education, training, health care, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, sustainable development, and information technology has also been fruitful.
Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Deirdre Ní Fhallúin said that the Irish Embassy in Vietnam is increasing cooperation between universities and institutes in the two countries to share experience and build capacity in areas such as agriculture and agrifood, which are priority fields for both Ireland and Vietnam. The Ireland Vietnam Agrifood Partnership (IVAP) is an example of strong bilateral collaboration in this area. Ireland is also helping rural communities in Vietnam in climate change adaptation and expanding university cooperation and research in the areas of climate change and sustainability.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK and Ireland Do Minh Hung said that the October 2023 update of the “Global Ireland: Delivering in the Asia Pacific Region to 2025” strategy, which reaffirms the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), continues to demonstrate Ireland’s interest in the region. Ireland said the strategy’s implementation includes strengthening ties with ASEAN and its member states, including Vietnam.
In addition to trade and education being the bright spots in the bilateral relationship, Vietnam is currently the only country in the region that Ireland has included in its international development cooperation programme (Irish Aid) to promote cooperation in areas such as climate action, gender equality, overcoming the consequences of unexploded ordnances, ethnic minority communities, education, and people-to-people exchanges, he said.
Ambassador Hung said that during the visit, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam is scheduled to deliver an important policy speech on the strategic vision for bilateral relations in the new development stage, while visiting a number of educational and training facilities and high technology establishments, and meeting a number of Irish businesses in the fields of semiconductor, high-tech agriculture, and energy infrastructure that are keen on entering and expanding investment and business in Vietnam. He will have a meeting with the Vietnamese community in Ireland.
The diplomat said that within the framework of the visit, the two sides are scheduled to sign and approve many important agreements to promote cooperation across various fields such as trade, agriculture, and education and training.
