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Irish businesses seek opportunities in VN
On Feb. 24, Representatives of Irish businesses expressed hopes of fostering co-operation with Vietnamese firms in the fields of construction, engineering and consulting, during a business conference held yesterday in Ha Noi.
"We are seeking strong local producers to grow our presence in Viet Nam and throughout Southest Asia," said David Tyndall, general manager of Kingspan SE Asia, an affiliate of Kingspan Group, one of the leading Irish manufacturers of products for the construction industry.
The potential for co-operation in these sectors remained untapped, said Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Pham Gia Tuc.
Yesterday's business forum encouraged Irish and Vietnamese companies to share experiences and develop business links and partnerships that would help strengthen the economic links between the two countries, said Irish Ambassador to Viet Nam Maeve Collins.
"We look forward to more of these events in Ireland and in Viet Nam in the coming years and to seeing business-to-business bonds between our two countries grow and develop," Collins added.
Bilateral trade reached US$120 million in 2009 and $141 million in the first 10 months of last year. Among Viet Nam's key exports to Ireland were footwear, clothing and household appliances.
As of November 2010, Ireland only had six projects in Viet Nam, worth a total of $5.64 million. The projects were focused on light industry and services.
These figures were yet to match the potential of both countries, Tuc said.
He emphasised the importance of more frequent exchanges of trade and investment information and business delegations in order to open a new page for business co-operation.
The Viet Nam and Ireland Business Association was founded in 1995 to help promote trade relations and now has 27 members.
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