Deputy PM wants Irish support in EU relations

April 24, 2017 - 10:02

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has suggested Ireland prompt the European Union (EU) to sign and ratify the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UVFTA) and recognise Việt Nam’s market economy.

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng (L) meets Irish President Michael D Higgins in Dublin. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Phương

DUBLIN — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has suggested Ireland prompt the European Union (EU) to sign and ratify the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (UVFTA) and recognise Việt Nam’s market economy. 

Deputy PM Dũng made the suggestion during his meeting with Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Charles Flanagan in Dublin on Friday, where he affirmed that Việt Nam attaches importance to ties with Ireland. 

Dũng also called on Ireland to provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students and help overseas Vietnamese in Ireland better integrate into the host society. 

For his part, Minister Flanagan agreed to work with Việt Nam in implementing agreements signed during the Việt Nam visit by Irish President Michael D Higgins in 2016, and maintaining delegation exchanges, and all-level meetings to consolidate the friendship between the two nations, with a focus on economic-trade relations, development co-operation, agriculture-food, and education-training. 

The two ministers agreed to work to identify priorities for co-operation between the two nations for 2017-2020, with Ireland’s commitment to assist Việt Nam in socio-economic development, poverty reduction and climate change adaption. 

They also agreed to implement agreements on child adoption and facilitating the flow of products into each other’s market. 

During his meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed, Deputy PM Dũng lauded Ireland’s agricultural achievements and urged Ireland to support Việt Nam in hi-tech agricultural development while strengthening co-operation in forestry, environment and response to climate change. 

For his part, Minister Creed said that Ireland is willing to boost co-operation with Việt Nam in dairy, pharmaceuticals and meat processing, he said, adding that Ireland also supports promoting EU-Việt Nam relations. – VNS

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