(MPI Portal) – On March 12th 2015, at the headquarters of the MPI, Minister Bui Quang Vinh had a meeting with Mr. John Deasy, Vice Chairman of the Dáil’s powerful Public Accounts Committee.

Photo: Duc Trung (MPI Portal)

At the Meeting, Minister Bui Quang Vinh expressed his good impression of Ireland and assessed that bilateral cooperative ties between the two countries are increasingly tight and sustainable. The Minister highly appreciated ODA of Ireland Government for Vietnam in the recent time, Irish programs, projects have been achieving good results, contributing to poverty reduction of Vietnam Government, obtaining practical effect and widely spreading. Especially, Programme 135 – socio-economic development of the most vulnerable communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Vietnam Government assisted by Irish ODA has got great significance in improving lives of ethnic minorities.

The Minister highly appreciated Irish economic development models, Vietnam has been learning a lot about SME management, policies of macroeconomic stabilization and inflation curb. Besides, although Vietnam has become a middle income country (MIC), it is still in low income group of MICs, therefore, continuing Ireland's commitment to fund Vietnam is necessary and important to help Vietnam creating essential environment to integrate international economy and further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Confirming the good bilateral ties, the Vice Chairman of the Dáil’s powerful Public Accounts Committee said that number of exchange delegations and high-level dialogues between the two countries is increasing. He desired the two sides to learn and exchange experience in investment cooperation and socio-economic development. Ireland is also expected Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement to be signed in 2015, contributing to boosting cooperation and two-way trade turnover, bringing Irish agricultural and milk products into Vietnam, thereby further improving friendship cooperative ties of the two countries.

Vice Chairman John Deasy said that the Public Accounts Committee has an important role in the Dáil’s powerful with monitoring disbursement of capital generally and assessing the effectiveness of using Irish ODA of the recipient countries particularly. He stressed that Vietnam is the only country in Asia which is received aid from Ireland and has also confirmed the effectiveness of using ODA, contributing to poverty reduction of Vietnam. He committed to aid to Vietnam continuously in the coming time.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed potential of bilateral trade cooperation on many fields, thereby agreed to try their utmost further in using ODA and ensuring the effectiveness./.

Nguyen Huong

MPI Portal