Vietnam, Northern Ireland forge multi-faceted cooperation

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long at the meeting with  Chief Executive at Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce Simon Hamilton. (Photo: VNA)

London (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to theUK Nguyen Hoang Long visited Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland, from May9-11, aiming to promote multi-faceted cooperation between the two sides,especially in business, trade, education, climate change response, andpeople-to-people exchange.

The visit took place within the Vietnam-UK friendshipyear 2023 which marks the 50th anniversary of the bilateraldiplomatic ties.

During his stay in Belfast, Long met with Speaker ofthe Northern Ireland Assembly Alex Maskey, Secretary at Department ofAgriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Katrina Godfrey, DAERADeputy Secretary Norman Fulton, Director of Europe Strategy Division andInternational Relations at the Northern Ireland Executive Office Lynsey Moore,and Chief Executive at Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce Simon Hamilton.

The ambassador also had working sessions withrepresentatives of Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast.

On this occasion, the embassy coordinated withrelevant agencies in setting up a Vietnamese booth at Balmoral Show, NorthernIreland's largest agri-food event, and organising a workshop on educationalcooperation between Vietnam and Northern Ireland.

Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long at Balmoral Show. (Photo: VNA0

At the meetings, Long spoke highly of socio-economicachievements Northern Ireland has recorded over the past time, particularly inagriculture, research, education, science, technology and green energy, and expressed his hope that it will become Vietnam’s important partner in those areas.

He suggested Northern Ireland soon dispatch a delegationto Vietnam this year to learn about the market in order to boost agriculturaland food trading between the two sides.

The diplomat also expressed his hope for strongercollaboration in education, culture and tourism.

The Northern Ireland side held that the two sidesboast great potential for cooperation, especially in trade, education, tourism,culture and people-to-people exchange.

Local officials agreed to accelerate the signingof a cooperation agreement with Vietnam, and send a tradepromotion delegation to the Southeast Asian nation later this year.

Priorities should be given to such cooperation areasas higher education, scientific research, innovation, health care, life science,computer science, cyber security, cyber technology, and agriculture incombination with trade and business, they said./.

VNA