Vietnam, Ireland to strengthen cooperation in education, other sectors

Vietnam and Ireland on Monday signed agreements on strengthening cooperation in education and training, wind power, information technology, post and telecommunications and other areas.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and his Irish counterpart Michael D. Higgins, who is paying a state visit to Vietnam on Nov. 5-14., witnessed the signing ceremony.

The leaders agreed that education and training is a key cooperation sector between the two countries.

Quang said the two countries have many potentials for stronger cooperation in areas of common interests including trade-investment, education and training, green technology, technology transfer, especially in renewable energy, agriculture and food processing, aviation, healthcare, and sustainable development, among others.

Higgins said he discussed with Quang how Ireland and Vietnam can support each other in forming a bridge for Vietnam to reach the European Union and for Ireland to access to nearly 600 million people in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Vietnam and Ireland established diplomatic ties in 1996. In the first nine months of 2016, bilateral trade revenue reached 798 million U.S. dollars, three times as much as the same period last year.

Vietnam mainly exports wood and wood products, footwear, and garment to Ireland while importing pharmaceutical materials, computers and electronic components among others. Endit