Irish Ambassador receives medal for peace and friendship

Chairman of the VUFO, Vu Xuan Hong hailed Ambassador Maeve Collins for her activities to help boost the two countries’ relations in the fields of diplomacy, culture, education, health care and especially assistance for humanitarian activities and poverty eradication.

With her prestige, the Ambassador helped persuade Irish Aid to provide non-refundable aid worth EUR 87.5 million for the Vietnam National Support Programme in the 2007-2010 period.

Ireland is now the biggest bilateral sponsor for Programme 135- a governmental programme on poverty reduction and socio-economic development in very poor areas, providing it with EUR 7.5 million in non-refundable aid per year.

Ambassador Maeve Collins has been awarded certificates of merit of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and the Prime Minister for her contributions to poverty eradication and the fight against drug, HIV and prostitution.