HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng yesterday called on Việt Nam and Ireland to step up co-operation in many areas including agriculture, clean energy, high technology and climate change adaptation.

The two countries should also strengthen co-operation in education and fulfilling sustainable development goals, Trọng told visiting Irish President Michael Daniel Higgins in Hà Nội.

The Party chief praised bilateral trade growth between the two countries as well as the results of talks between President Higgins and his Vietnamese counterpart Trần Đại Quang. He also welcomed the agreements reached between the two sides during Higgins’s visit.

Development projects funded by Ireland had contributed to Việt Nam’s poverty alleviation and socio-economic development, Trọng said.

Higgins said the Irish Government considered Viêt Nam an important partner in the region and wished to increase co-operation with Việt Nam in many fields, including trade, investment, development and education and training.

Later, at a reception for the visiting Irish President, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc affirmed that Việt Nam wished to nurture all-round ties with Ireland and welcomed Ireland’s policy of strengthening collaboration with the Asia-Pacific region, including Việt Nam.

In the first nine months of this year, two-way trade between Việt Nam and Ireland was almost US$800 million, triple the 2015 figure. Irish investment in Việt Nam, which currently stands at nearly $21 million, needs to increase in the near future, he said, pledging all possible support to Irish investors.

The PM also suggested that Ireland make it easier for Việt Nam to export farm produce to the country. He said both sides needed to promote trade and business connectivity, share experiences in agriculture and technology transfer in agro-forestry-fisheries.

Phúc also expressed his wish that Ireland urges the EU to promptly sign the free trade agreement with Việt Nam. He hailed Ireland’s national strategy on development cooperation with Việt Nam for the 2017-2020 period, and hoped that Ireland would continue assisting Việt Nam in poverty reduction, climate change responses, and education.

Higgins briefed his host on talks held with Vietnamese President Trần Đại Quang. He also said that he was keen on continuing to work closely with Việt Nam on supporting the needy in remote and mountainous areas, and sharing experiences with Việt Nam on gender equality and institutional building.

Ireland wanted to share its experiences in green economy, privatisation, merger and acquisition, and technology transfer, he said.

The country also supported early signing of the Việt Nam-EU FTA.

Both Phúc and Higgins agreed to intensify multifaceted co-operation, back each other’s bids for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, share experiences in agriculture, study the law of the sea, and boost cultural ties to enhance mutual understanding.

Talks with students

In an exchange with lecturers and students of the Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hà Nội, Higgins said Việt Nam and Ireland were actively engaged in climate change adaptation activities and realising the UN’s sustainable development goals to build a green and peaceful world for future generations.

The Irish President also spoke highly of the co-operation between Vietnamese and Irish universities and research institutes, and encouraged Vietnamese students to actively acquire knowledge and integrate into the world.

VNU Director Nguyễn Kim Sơn said collaboration in education and vocational training between Việt Nam and Ireland had expanded in recent years with support from the Irish Embassy in Việt Nam, Enterprise Ireland, and Irish Aid under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The co-operation with top Irish universities opened up numerous opportunities for students and young lecturers to meet each other, and facilitated the establishment of new training programmes in Việt Nam, he said.

A day earlier, the VNU and the Cork University of Ireland signed a comprehensive co-operation agreement in the presence of presidents Quang and Higgins. - VNS