General Secretary and President To Lam visits Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

General Secretary and President To Lam delivered a speech titled: “Vision for a new era in Vietnam-Ireland friendship and cooperation, for peace, cooperation and development”.

Also attending from Ireland were Mr. Patrick O'Donovan, Minister for Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science of Ireland; Ms. Orla Sheils, Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin; Mr. Martin Murray, CEO of Asia Matters and a large number of lecturers and students of the school.

Trinity College Dublin is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in Ireland. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, Trinity College Dublin is located in the heart of the capital city of Dublin and is considered to be Ireland's leading university, as well as one of the most prestigious universities in Europe...

Trinity College Dublin's sprawling campus is located in the heart of Dublin's city center. The college features historic architecture, including many historic buildings such as the Old Library, which houses the famous "Book of Kells," a medieval manuscript. The campus is not only a place of study but also an attractive tourist destination.

Trinity College Dublin is a leading centre of higher education, offering a wide range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral programmes in a wide range of subjects from arts, science, engineering, medicine to law. The university is renowned for the quality of its teaching and research, with many faculties and institutes recognised worldwide.

Trinity College Dublin has a diverse student community of over 18,000 students from all over the world. Student life is vibrant with a wide range of clubs, societies and extracurricular activities. Students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of cultural, sporting and research activities, creating a comprehensive and dynamic learning environment.

In Vietnam, Trinity College Dublin is planning to launch a joint training program in management and economics with Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Recently, both sides have sent representatives to participate in a number of scientific conferences.

Speaking at Trinity College Dublin, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his delight at visiting the school, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, which has trained great talents.

General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that Vietnam and Ireland have many similarities in history and culture. Both peoples have undergone great sacrifices and losses in their steadfast and indomitable struggle for national freedom and independence. Both countries uphold the tradition of studiousness, peace and hospitality, family values ​​and solidarity. Vietnam appreciates Ireland’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and Ireland is also a symbol of solidarity and international prestige.

Sharing the story of Vietnam, in nearly 80 years of national founding and nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, under the comprehensive leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people have won freedom, national independence and achieved many great and historic achievements. The General Secretary and President respectfully thanked the Government and people of Ireland for their valuable support for Vietnam's development over the past 30 years, especially in the fields of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, overcoming the consequences of war, supporting vulnerable groups, improving economic management capacity, gender equality and responding to climate change.

The General Secretary and President affirmed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnam is steadfast in its goal of “national independence associated with socialism”, taking this as its ideology and guiding principle to protect and develop the country. Vietnam also continues to take people as the center and driving force for development; build a rule-of-law State, of the people, by the people and for the people; consistently implement a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralize and diversify relations, be a friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community; proactively and actively integrate deeply and comprehensively into the international community.

The General Secretary and President said that, inheriting the nation's tradition of loving peace, "peaceful friendship", "using benevolence to replace violence", Vietnam persists in its "four no's" defense policy (Not participating in military alliances; Not aligning with one country to fight another; Not allowing foreign countries to set up military bases or use its territory to fight against another country; Not using force or threatening to use force in international relations). Vietnam supports respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law; strongly supports the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, and opposes unilateral actions, power politics, the use or threat of use of force in international relations.

With that mindset, Vietnam has actively contributed to international peace and security. Over the past 10 years, thousands of Vietnamese soldiers have accompanied the United Nations in efforts to maintain international peace and security and improve the lives of people in many countries around the world. Vietnam has also participated in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief for many countries around the world. Entering a new era of development, with new position and strength, Vietnam is determined to effectively implement new-age diplomacy, ready to make more active and proactive contributions to world politics, the global economy and human civilization.

General Secretary and President To Lam said that after nearly three decades of establishing diplomatic relations, the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Ireland have been developing positively. Vietnam always attaches importance to its relationship with Ireland, a dynamic member of the EU, a pioneering country in innovation and a source of the world's elite. This visit will contribute positively to further strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

The world is undergoing changes, the General Secretary and President stated, for Vietnam this is an important period and strategic opportunity, a sprint stage to create a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise.

To make the most of strategic opportunities, transform challenges into opportunities and build a prosperous future for both countries, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized the following directions: First, proactively create a new development space for the benefit and prosperity of the people of the two countries; believe that the Framework for Strategic Partnership in the field of higher education that the two countries will establish will contribute to promoting the strengths of each country and the achievements of bilateral cooperation over the past nearly 30 years; open up new directions for cooperation, linked to the trends of the times; spread more strongly the common values ​​that the two countries share with the young generation, including the students present here today - the future owners of the two countries.

Second, create a breakthrough in enhancing autonomy, self-reliance, self-strengthening and adaptability to new global challenges; need to jointly change the mindset and method of handling global challenges, from "passive response and overcoming" to "proactive prevention and control from early on and from afar"; proactively create new advantages and enhance endogenous strength and resilience to impacts from the external environment...

Third, to enhance and proactively expand the contributions of Vietnam and Ireland to international peace, cooperation and development. As active and responsible members of the international community, Vietnam and Ireland need to continue to promote multilateral cooperation, respect international law, especially the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force in international relations; promote the role of the United Nations; proactively initiate new cooperation ideas for peace, security, stability and development of humanity. In particular, it is necessary to contribute more actively to the maintenance of security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation in seas and oceans, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982) and international law...

Concluding his speech with your proverb: “Of all relationships, friendship is the best and will always be so”, General Secretary and President To Lam believes that Vietnam and Ireland will continue to stand side by side, cooperate closely, and move towards a higher level of relations in the future, for the benefit of the people of the two countries, for a future of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and in the world.

On this occasion, General Secretary and President To Lam visited the book room, where the original medieval book “Book of Kells” is displayed; visited the Ancient Library, listened to the introduction of “Ireland’s Declaration of Independence in 1916” and the iconic Irish harp. One of only three harps from the Irish Middle Ages that still exists today.

Trinity College Dublin Library, which currently holds over 6 million volumes, along with many important manuscripts, maps and archives, serves not only Trinity College Dublin but also other colleges in Dublin. In addition, the Library also holds over 200,000 ancient and historically valuable books. The Library is famous for its Long Room, which is 65 metres long with tall wooden bookshelves decorated with busts of writers, philosophers, famous people and many rare collections.

Here, General Secretary and President To Lam wrote in the guest book: “I would like to send my best wishes to Trinity University, a cultural and intellectual symbol of Ireland. With its valuable historical heritage, especially the ancient library, which preserves priceless works, Trinity University is not only a training address but also a journey of cultural and intellectual discovery. I believe that, with the establishment of the Strategic Partnership Framework in the field of higher education, educational cooperation between Vietnam and Ireland in general and between Trinity University and Vietnamese universities in particular will open up many opportunities for students and lecturers of both sides. Together, we will successfully build a bridge of knowledge, promote creativity and sustainable development in the future”.