Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai expects that Vietnam and the Republic of Ireland will develop further the bilateral cooperation in fields of economy, development assistance and education-training. The Deputy PM expressed the hope during his talks with Irish leaders on his trip to the foreign nation between Oct 22-24, the Vietnamese government said on its website Thursday. At his meeting with President Mary McAleese, Hai called on Ireland to support the Southeast Asian nation in expanding the comprehensive relationship with the European Union. The Vietnamese Deputy PM also proposed the Republic of Ireland to support the bloc’s stop of anti-dumping duties on Vietnam’s shoes and the recognition of Vietnam as the market economy.
During his talks with Prime Minister Brian Cowen, Hai affirmed the Vietnamese government will create conditions for Irish businesses to invest in their potential fields such as IT, energy, finance-banking and tourism. For his part, PM Brian Cowen believed the Vietnamese Deputy PM’s trip, being accompanied by leading businesses, will open big opportunities for the cooperation in energy, finance-banking, IT, realty, education, especially in the context of economic crisis. The two countries set up diplomatic ties in 1996. Last year, two-way trade reached $98 million and Ireland’s investment into Vietnam hit $4.3 million.
