merrion street

Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development Ciarán Cannon, T.D., will visit Vietnam and Thailand from 11-16 November for a wide-ranging programme of political, economic and community engagements. 

During the visit, the Minister will have bilateral political meetings to discuss Ireland’s strong and growing economic links with Vietnam and to mark the establishment an Irish aid-funded education partnership in the field of agriculture.

The visit also affords the opportunity for the Minister to visit Irish Aid-funded development projects and to see their impact on the ground. Minister Cannon will participate in the Irish Aid sponsored Hanoi Pride festival on 11^th November before travelling to Hoa Binh province the following day for a field visit to Government of Vietnam and civil society programmes. The programmes funded by Irish Aid include infrastructure and tourism projects to provide sustainable livelihoods for marginalised ethnic minorities.

The Minster will also meet members of Ireland’s diaspora in Hanoi and friends of Ireland, including Vietnamese alumni of Irish universities.

In Bangkok on November 15^th, the Minister will meet with the heads of diplomatic missions from the region to discuss Ireland’s growing presence in Asia and how best to maximise Ireland’s economic and political engagement in the context of the Government’s commitment to doubling our global footprint by 2025. 

In addition to a series of bilateral political engagements and a briefing on the Kerry Group’s operations in Thailand, Minister Cannon will attend a working dinner organised jointly by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland for key business contacts.

In Bangkok, Minister Cannon will make the keynote address to the Asia Pacific Irish Business Forum (APIBF). The Minister will also address the opening event of the 23^rd Annual Asian Gaelic Games and will meet some of the hundreds of players and supporters attending the games from countries in the region.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Minister Cannon said:

While Ireland is a small country, we have links to people all around the world thanks to our vibrant diaspora communities. This has contributed to the strong friendships Ireland enjoys with Vietnam and Thailand and I am looking forward to a week of comprehensive and engaging meetings with various partners and communities across region.

Note to editors:

• On his arrival in Bangkok on 14^th November, Minister Cannon will tour with Sr. Louise Horgan the Fatima Centre run by the Good Shepherd Sisters. Cork woman, Sr. Louise Horgan, who has worked in Bangkok for over 50 years, is receiving support from Irish Aid to provide basic training and employment skills for vulnerable/at risk youth in the community, basic education and skills for refugees and day care for single mothers.

• The 23^rdAsian Gaelic Games, the largest annual gathering of the Irish in Asia, will be held in Bangkok from 16 to 18 November. Fourteen clubs, 40 teams and 1,000 players and supporters from the region are expected to participate in the event.

• The Department of Foreign Affairs promotes and supports community oriented GAA activities abroad through the Emigrant Support Programme. For 2018, the Emigrant Support Programme provided a grant of €383,000 for GAA programmes overseas.

• Held to coincide with the Asian Gaelic Games, the Asia Pacific Irish Business Forum (APIBF) brings together Irish business interests from across the region to build networks and to identify new opportunities for cooperation. This year’s Forum will be on the theme of Sustainability – Building Long-Term Success for Irish Companies in Asia.