Minister Chien welcomed H.E. Cait Moran with his higly appreciationand considerationfor the supports and cooperation of the Irish Government with Vietnam with Vietnam through international strategy period 2007 - 2010 with the aim of: supporting poverty reduction and vulnerability,funding package of 85.5 million euros on the Programme 135 phase II which supports economic transition and private sector development, improving capacity local cadres of Vietnam government agencies and implementing the One UN Initiative in Vietnam. The effective supports and the enthusiastic participation of the Irish Aid in Vietnam have contributed actively to promote the cooperation between Vietnam and Ireland in general, and between the State Committee for Ethnic Minority A faris with Irish Aid in particular.

At the meeting, Ms. Cait Moran, congratulated Mr. Do Van Chien on gainning high credibility from13^th Vietnamese National Assemby, the new minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, with a hope that on new position, Mr.Chien will continue to accompany and contribute further on promoting cooperation between the two countries.

On this occasion, Ms. Cait Moran discussed with The Ministers, Chairman of the CEMA about the relationship between Ireland and the Committee in recent years and also priorities in the forthcoming future.

“In recent years, the funding from Ireland has been allocated, manage strictly and transparent from the central government to the grassroots level so that the projects have invested effectively on right purposes, and contributed to the efforts of poverty reduction of the Vietnam Government. In particular, the programme 135 in infrastructure, production development for extremely difficult communes, communal borders, secured communal areas, villages supported mainly from Irish Aid has improved significantly the lives of ethnic minorities. In addition, Ireland also funed technical assistance project to support research planning, policy development and provided trainning human programme for ethnic agencies”,Ms. Moran said.

H.E. Cait Moran has also expressed interests in gender equality in Vietnam, especially in ethnic minority areas, she said that this is one of the major challenges of the Vietnam Government and Vietnam should have stronger policies on this issue.

About futher cooperation in 2016, “Ireland is committed to support resources for CEMA on the small construction infrastructure in the 9 poorest communes (The programe 135) in Vietnam”, Ms. Moran said.

Express his excited about the results of cooperation between two parties in the reccent years, Minister Chien has informed to the Ambassador about some of planned works of CEMA, such as: Bulding Ethnicity Academy, completing mechanisms policies to the Prime Minister for approval in order to implement in 2016-2020 period, and continuingthe Programme 135.

In order to promote and strengthen the cooperation in the forthcoming future, the Minister wishes that Ms Cait Moran and her colleagues, on the basis of national strategies Ireland - Vietnam and the Memorandum between the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Irish Aid, continue to promote, support and cooperate with the Committee on financial support for the construction of infrastructure projects in the especially difficult communes under Programme 135; technical support for the CEMA in the planning and management of policies, projects in ethnic minorities; support a fewpoverty reduction projects and increaseabilities toadapt with disasters; continue to discuss the framework of joint cooperation in the poverty reduction projects and development for ethnic minorities in Vietnam 2016-2020 period.