During a meeting with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi on November 8, the President said the maintenance of a peaceful and stable environment for sustainable development was one of the most important issues at present, and he called for peacefully settling disputes at sea in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He believed that Vietnam-Ireland ties would continue growing positively, contributing to European Union–ASEAN ties, and benefiting peace and development in the region and the world.
Party leader Trong expressed his wish that both countries would facilitate high-level visits and boost cooperation in agriculture, clean energy, high technology, education, climate change response, post-war recovery and the implementation of sustainable development goals and increase liaisons at international forums for global peace, security and development.
During a reception for the visiting Irish President, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that Vietnam wished to nurture all-round ties with Ireland and welcomed Ireland’s policy of strengthening collaboration with the Asia-Pacific, including Vietnam.
In the first nine months of this year, two-way trade between Vietnam and Ireland neared US$800 million, triple what tit was in 2015. Irish investment in Vietnam, which currently stands at nearly US$21 million, needed to increase in the near future, he said.
Vietnam pledged all possible support to Irish investors, the PM said, suggesting that Ireland should make it easier for Vietnam to export farm produce to the country.
According to him, both sides needed to promote trade and business connectivity and share experience in agriculture and technology transfers in agro-forestry-fisheries.
The host wished that Ireland would urge the EU to promptly sign the free trade agreement with Vietnam, welcomed Ireland’s national strategy on development cooperation with Vietnam for 2017-2020 and hoped that Ireland would continue assisting Vietnam in poverty reduction, climate change response and education.
President Higgins, in reply, briefed his host about the outcomes of his talks with President Tran Dai Quang, adding that he was keen on continuing to work closely with Vietnam to support the needy in remote and mountainous areas and to share experience with Vietnam in gender equality and institution-building.
He hoped that Ireland would serve as a gateway through which for Vietnam to access the EU market, and that Vietnam would help Ireland navigate the 600-million-strong ASEAN market.
Ireland wants to share experience with Vietnam in green economy, privatisation, mergers and acquisitions and technology transfers, he said, adding that Ireland supported the Vietnam-EU FTA.
Host and guest agreed to intensify multifaceted cooperation, back their bid to run for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, share experience in agriculture, study the law of the sea and boost cultural ties to raise mutual understanding between the two nations.
