Viet Nam, Ireland expand trade and investment cooperation

Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung made the above statement during his meeting with Minister of State at the Department of Justice of Ireland James Browne on Sunday.

Nguyen underscored that although Viet Nam and Ireland have enjoyed a sound traditional friendship, their partnership in trade, investment and other fields has remained modest and below the potential and expectation of the two countries.

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

Regarding the IT area, Viet Nam hopes for Ireland's cooperation in human resources training and collaboration with the National Innovation Center.

The minister emphasized the need for the two countries to cooperate through specific projects and programs that benefit both sides.

For his part, James Browne highlighted the similarities in history and culture between the two countries, as well as abundant opportunities for the two sides to bolster trade and investment cooperation, including collaboration in the fields of agriculture, information technology and pharmaceuticals.

He said Viet Nam's policy on restructuring the agricultural sector towards a hi-tech-based, effective industry associated with carbon emission reduction, sustainable development, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and value chain enhancement is Ireland's strength.

Browne suggested that the two sides define specific and core areas for discussion. Additionally, he expected that more agricultural products from Ireland would reach the Vietnamese market./.