Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng (right) and Minister of State at the Department of Justice of Ireland James Browne at the meeting. — Photo mpi.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — There is still significant potential for Việt Nam and Ireland to foster bilateral relations in trade and investment, especially in agriculture, information and technology and pharmaceuticals.

Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng delivered this statement during a recent meeting with the Minister of State at the Department of Justice of Ireland James Browne.

Despite a sound traditional friendship, two-way cooperation in trade, investment and other fields has remained modest and has failed to match the potential and expectations of the two countries, Dũng said.

He added that Việt Nam plans to build a technical and incubation centre to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the northern region to improve the added value and competitiveness of the country's agricultural and food products and promote the country’s agricultural sector’s growth and called for Ireland’s support in building and developing the centre.

In terms of the IT sector, Việt Nam hopes for Ireland’s cooperation in human resources training as well as collaboration with the National Innovation Centre, he said.

For his part, Browne highlighted abundant opportunities for the two sides to bolster trade and investment cooperation, including collaboration in agriculture, information technology and pharmaceuticals.

Việt Nam’s policy on restructuring the agricultural sector towards a hi-tech-based effective sector in association with carbon emission reduction, sustainable development, environmental protection, climate change adaption and value chain enhancement, also mirrors Ireland’s strength, he said.

He also said he hoped that more agricultural products from Ireland would enter the Vietnamese market. — VNS