General Secretary To Lam’s recent visit to Ireland was a significant event. How will the outcomes of this visit promote bilateral cooperation in the future?  

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: It was an honor to accompany General Secretary To Lam on this recent visit. This was a truly exceptional occasion that significantly advanced bilateral relations. The visit was not only a success in terms of tangible agreements but also demonstrated the strong affection between our two nations.  

This visit reciprocated President Michael D. Higgins’ visit to Vietnam in 2016. President Higgins highly valued hosting General Secretary To Lam as a representative of Ireland’s people and state.  

Several important agreements were signed during the visit. The first was a Strategic Sectoral Cooperation Agreement in higher education, witnessed by the Irish Prime Minister and General Secretary To Lam. The second was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural and trade cooperation, paving the way for promising future collaborations.  

For me, the warm and friendly atmosphere was the most memorable aspect. The Vietnamese community in Ireland, including students and long-term residents, contributed significantly to the success of the visit and enhanced Vietnam's profile in Ireland. I understand the visit received wide media coverage in Vietnam, which also raised Ireland’s visibility here.  

Another major milestone is Vietnam’s decision to open an embassy in Dublin, which we warmly welcome.  

An MoU on economic cooperation was also signed during the visit. What are the next steps to boost bilateral trade and investment, and how will the Embassy support businesses from both countries in leveraging the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA)? 

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: This is an area I’m particularly passionate about. Ireland is a highly globalized economy, with trade and foreign investment playing central roles. While trade and investment between Ireland and Vietnam are at a respectable level, there is significant untapped potential.  

Enterprise Ireland, our state agency for trade promotion, recently opened a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, which will provide valuable support for Irish businesses exploring opportunities in Vietnam. Additionally, the Irish Business Association in Vietnam, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, is being revitalized with our support.  

The EVFTA and the recently signed MoU provide a robust framework for bilateral trade. In the face of global trade challenges, this is an ideal time for like-minded nations such as Ireland and Vietnam, which share a commitment to free and mutually beneficial trade, to deepen their cooperation.  

Key sectors we aim to develop include ICT, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. Efforts are also underway to introduce Irish beef to the Vietnamese market while maintaining our presence in dairy and seafood exports.  

During the visit, an MoU on sustainable food systems transformation was signed. How will this program support Vietnam’s agricultural sector, especially given the challenges posed by climate change in the Mekong Delta?

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: We are funding a program called the Ireland-Vietnam Agriculture Partnership, focused on sustainable food production and implemented by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI). Now in its second year, the program addresses climate change impacts on food production and emphasizes reducing carbon emissions.  

Another focus area is food safety, where Ireland shares its expertise in establishing and implementing high safety standards.  

Ireland is supporting Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Ministry of Planning and Investment in national food systems transformation. We also see great potential in agricultural cooperatives - a model that has enabled Irish local producers to evolve into global food companies, which could be similarly transformative in Vietnam.  

This is timely, given the challenges faced by the Mekong Delta, such as soil erosion and saltwater intrusion due to climate change. 

Ireland has been highly successful in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), becoming the European base for global corporations like Apple, Facebook, and Google. What lessons can Vietnam learn from this success?

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: In my opinion, Vietnam has done very well in attracting FDI, creating an attractive environment for international investors. In Ireland's case, education is a key factor. When high-tech, digital, pharmaceutical, and medical technology companies assess investment locations, they always look for a skilled and highly educated workforce.

Previously, tax policies played an important role in Ireland’s FDI attraction. However, this factor is gradually becoming less prominent as many countries adopt a global minimum tax rate. In the future, factors such as a skilled workforce, an appealing working environment for senior managers, and robust infrastructure will play a critical role.

Infrastructure - such as energy supply, transportation systems, and broadband internet networks - is essential for attracting FDI. Both Vietnam and Ireland are well aware of this, but fully meeting infrastructure requirements remains a challenge. The two countries can certainly learn from each other in this area.

An interesting example is Intel, a corporation that owns a large chip manufacturing plant in Ireland, my homeland, and is also a significant employer. Intel is also a major investor in Vietnam. It can be said that sometimes our two countries compete in this field, but it is very healthy competition!

What you just mentioned are indeed very noteworthy points, especially as Vietnam pursues an ambitious plan to train a highly skilled workforce for the semiconductor industry from now until 2030. With the implementation of the global minimum tax, we are also focusing more on other meaningful advantages that we can offer investors.

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: I believe that is the right approach. General Secretary To Lam's recent visit to Ireland also highlighted this.

On the final day of his visit, the General Secretary visited NIBRT, the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training in Ireland, which trains human resources for the pharmaceutical industry. The institute has state-of-the-art laboratories conducting advanced research on vaccines and therapeutics while training a highly skilled workforce. This model has garnered significant interest from Vietnam, and we hope to collaborate in developing similar models in Vietnam in the future.

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: Absolutely. One of the reasons we have established partnerships in the field of higher education is the similarity in the development stories of Ireland and Vietnam, particularly in education. For instance, free public secondary education was only introduced in Ireland in the 1960s, and access to higher education has become widespread for many Irish families only in recent generations. Education has played a pivotal role in our country’s development, both economically and socially. I see parallels in Vietnam, where families highly value education and invest heavily in the future of their children.

Through the Ireland Scholarship Program, we provide full scholarships and foster close partnerships between Irish universities and Vietnamese higher education institutions. A growing number of Vietnamese students are choosing Ireland as a destination for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Under the "Education in Ireland" brand, we actively promote study opportunities in Ireland through events such as "Study in Europe" and "Study in Ireland" fairs.

Currently, there are partnerships between Vietnam National University (VNU) and University College Cork in the field of international development, and between VNU and University College Dublin in the area of innovation. These exchanges include workshops, collaborative research, and expertise sharing, benefiting both faculty and students from both countries.

Ireland and Vietnam have agreed to promote human rights in alignment with the specific conditions of each country and on the basis of international cooperation?

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: Absolutely. Vietnam has made significant progress in economic and social rights, which contributes to the foundation for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ireland has been actively involved in negotiations and leadership in reaching the agreement on the SDGs, and these goals are integrated into our foreign and development policies. Whether in education, nutrition, or governance, we apply a human rights-based, people-centered approach.

A notable example in governance is PAPI, the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index in Vietnam, which we co-fund. Managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with strong support from the Vietnamese Government, this is a nationwide survey conducted across all 63 provinces, where citizens assess the quality and effectiveness of public services. These responses are incredibly valuable and are carefully considered by the Vietnamese Government in policymaking.

We recognize differences in perspectives on some other issues, but we are always ready to engage in open, respectful, and constructive dialogue with Vietnam.

I understand that Ireland has a strong commitment to promoting gender equality through its development programs. How does the Embassy realize this commitment in Vietnam? Are there any specific initiatives in this area?

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: This is an issue that I am personally very passionate about, as both a female diplomat and an Ambassador. I am proud to say that this year, over 50% of Ireland’s Heads of Mission worldwide are women. However, in Ireland’s Parliament, we still have one of the lowest rates of female representation in Europe, so no country is perfect.

I believe that both Ireland and Vietnam recognize the importance of gender equality. In our collaborative programs, we have a project supporting women’s participation in local-level politics in four provinces of Vietnam. This initiative includes assisting women in their roles as community representatives, and I am very proud of the results achieved so far.

We strive to ensure that gender equality is not limited to a specific sector. Across all our programs—whether supporting ethnic minorities or in agriculture - we adopt a gender-integrated approach. For example, when working with persons with disabilities, we pay special attention to the unique challenges faced by women with disabilities. We aim to incorporate gender equality considerations into all our activities.

Finally, I’d like to ask about the visa application process. From what I understand, Irish citizens can apply for an e-visa to visit Vietnam, but Vietnamese citizens wishing to travel to Ireland face a more complex process, particularly because Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area. Are there any ongoing efforts to simplify travel procedures between the two countries?

Ambassador Ní Fhalluin: Facilitating visa applications is one of our priorities. We are very keen to promote smoother exchanges between citizens of both countries.

Last year, there were 23,000 Irish tourist visits to Vietnam—a quite impressive number. We have discussed with our Vietnamese partners the possibility of visa exemptions for Irish citizens, as some other EU countries already benefit from this policy. Currently, Irish travelers can use e-visas to enter Vietnam.

For Vietnamese travelers visiting Ireland, it is important to note that Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area; instead, we belong to the Common Travel Area (CTA) with the United Kingdom. Even after the UK’s departure from the European Union (Brexit), this agreement remains in place for historical reasons.

If Vietnamese visitors already have a visa for the UK and have entered the UK first, they can then travel to Ireland without needing an additional visa. However, if they plan to go directly to Ireland, they must apply for an Irish visa. This is under the "Short Stay Visa Waiver Program," and anyone interested can find detailed information on the Irish Immigration Service's website.

One of the services our Embassy provides is visa processing. Over the past year, we have worked hard to reduce waiting times. Currently, the average processing time for a visa application is around four weeks, and we are very proud of this. While applicants must prepare their documents carefully, we have a dedicated team of Vietnamese staff ready to assist them throughout the application process.

I understand that the process can be quite complex, but our team is always available to support anyone interested in traveling to Ireland for study, tourism, or business purposes.