The inauguration ceremony took place on March 26 local time in Dublin, with the presence of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Ireland Pham Toan Thang, and Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Ireland Patrick McKillen.

On the Irish side, attendees included Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond, Director General for Economic and Global Ireland Colm Hayes, Director of Asia-Pacific Affairs Iseult Fitzgerald, as well as members of parliament including Ann Graves, who oversees the Ireland - Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group, and Barry Ward, Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Irish House of Representatives.

The ceremony also brought together representatives from Irish ministries and parliament, foreign diplomatic missions, business partners, and members of the Vietnamese community living, studying and working in Ireland.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang described the inauguration as an important milestone, taking place as the two countries celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations from 1996 to 2026.

She noted that the opening of the embassy marks the beginning of a new chapter in Vietnam - Ireland relations, reaffirming Vietnam’s strong commitment to expanding cooperation across multiple fields, including politics, trade, education, science and technology, culture and people-to-people exchange.

The establishment of the embassy also reflects the attention of the Vietnamese Party and State to the growing Vietnamese community in Ireland, while fulfilling a commitment made during the state visit of Party General Secretary and President To Lam in October 2024.

On behalf of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister of State Neale Richmond welcomed the opening of the embassy and expressed satisfaction with the steady development of bilateral ties.

He emphasized that the inauguration, following the high-level visit in 2024, demonstrates the increasingly close relationship between the two countries and their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, finance, agriculture, science and technology, tourism and higher education.

Vietnam’s Ambassador to Ireland Pham Toan Thang stated that the establishment of Vietnam’s first embassy in Ireland highlights new prospects for cooperation. The embassy will expand diplomatic activities, facilitate business and educational connections, and better serve the Vietnamese community in a more practical and effective manner.

Representatives of the Vietnamese community in Ireland, including associations of Vietnamese residents, intellectuals and students, attended the ceremony and expressed their support and pride at the establishment of the embassy.

On this occasion, Ambassador Pham Toan Thang also extended his gratitude to the Irish government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, relevant agencies, partners and the Vietnamese community for their support throughout the process of establishing the embassy.

Tran Thuong