General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and President of Ireland Michael Higgins agreed to strive to raise the two-way trade turnover to $5 billion in 2026 during their talks in Dublin on October 2, the Vietnam News Agency has reported.

The two countries will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2026.

The two leaders affirmed that cooperation in economy, trade and investment is an important cooperation and the bilateral trade is expected to reach $3.5 billion in 2024.

They noted that the two sides need to effectively capitalize on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), promote trade-investment connection and support the business communities of the two countries.

The Vietnamese top leader stated that Vietnam attaches importance to developing its friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Ireland.

He expressed his wish that Ireland will continue provide development assistance for Vietnam in the prioritized fields such as green growth, response to climate change, environmental protection, information technology, digital transformation and sustainable development.

He was pleased to announce that the Vietnamese Government has decided and is implementing procedures for the opening of the Vietnamese Embassy in Ireland.

Both leaders voiced their belief that this decision will herald a new development stage for the bilateral relations for the sake of common interests of the two countries' people.

The Irish President emphasized that Vietnam is Ireland's leading trade partner and that there is still ample room for cooperation between the two countries; acknowledged Vietnam's proposal to accelerate the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to expand cooperation and investment opportunities between the Vietnamese and Irish business communities; and wished that Vietnam will facilitate Ireland's export of high-quality agricultural products and food products.