Published on 

Minister Fitzgerald welcomes visit of Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong of Vietnam

  • Expected to Sign Historic Administrative Agreement to Resume Adoptions

    Administrative Agreement with Ireland first for Vietnam since introduction of Hague Convention

    Frances Fitzgerald, TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has welcomed the forthcoming visit this weekend of the Vietnamese Minister for Justice, Mr. Ha Hung Cuong and senior officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The delegation will continue work with the Adoption Authority of Ireland on the progress towards a final administrative arrangement for the resumption of adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam.

Minister Fitzgerald stated: “I am very pleased to welcome Minister Ha Hung Cuong to Ireland. My visit to Vietnam in January and a visit from a delegation of senior officials in June of this year, has provided the opportunity for us to forge a close understanding and working relationship between the adoption authorities in both countries.”

The Administrative Arrangement will be signed on Monday by the Chairman of the Adoption Authority Dr Geoffrey Shannon and Minister Cuong. This will be the first international administrative agreement for inter country adoption entered into by the AAI and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since both countries ratified the Hague Convention on inter country adoption. The signing will open the way for the resumption of adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam. This has been both long awaited and much wished for by Irish families, and has been a priority of the minister for Children and Youth Affairs since becoming Minister.

On Sunday the delegation will attend a "Family Day" in Farmleigh hosted by Minister Fitzgerald. In attendance will be a large group of Vietnamese children already living in Ireland.

The visit of Minister Ha Hung Cuong and the expected signing of the agreement is the culmination of the work by Minister Frances Fitzgerald to resume adoptions with Vietnam. Minister Fitzgerald visited Vietnam in January 2012, and a delegation of senior officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam visited Ireland in June 2012.