Ceremony to inaugurate Honorary Consulate Office of Vietnam in Dublin: Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK and the Republic of Ireland Nguyen Hoang Long (second from right), Minister of State at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Sean Fleming (centre), and first Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Dublin Patrick Gerard McKillen (second from left) cut the symbolic ribbon to inaugurate the Honorary Consulate Office. (Photo: VNA)

Earlier, in May, Patrick Gerard McKillen, a renowned Irish businessman with many years of attachment with Vietnam, was appointed as the first Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Dublin.

In his opening speech at the inauguration ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK and the Republic of Ireland Nguyen Hoang Long believed that the opening of the Honorary Consulate Office was an important step towards further enhancing the effectiveness of political, trade, investment, educational, scientific, and technological relations between Vietnam and the Republic of Ireland, helping to maintain and deepen the friendship between their people.

The bilateral trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges have been on the rise. The Republic of Ireland provided about 5.6 million EUR in ODA for Vietnam in 2021, and around 6.3 million EUR in 2022. There is a growing number of Vietnamese students interested in pursuing higher education in the European nation.

Sean Fleming, Minister of State at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, said over the past 27 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two nations have cooperated closely and achieved many accomplishments. The Republic of Ireland always considers Vietnam an important partner in Asia, he affirmed.

In 2022, Vietnam-Ireland trade exceeded 985 million EUR, and Ireland hopes to see this trend continue developing and to capitalise on potential to strengthen the bilateral commercial ties. Fleming emphasised that the inauguration of the Honorary Consulate Office would be an important milestone to consolidate and further promote the relationship.

Honorary Consul Patrick Gerard McKillen expressed his honor to hold the post, committing to spare no efforts in carring out functions and tasks assigned to the consulate.

The office is set to carry out citizen protection affairs, support the Vietnamese community in the Republic of Ireland, enhance the introduction and promotion of Vietnam and its people in Dublin in particular and the Republic of Ireland in general, helping to foster the bilateral cooperation in multiple fields.

On this occasion, Ambassador Long also had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese expatriate community in the Republic of Ireland, which consists of about 5,000 people, and visited Minh Tam Pagoda – the first Vietnamese temple in the country, which was inaugurated in May this year.