Chairman ofthe VUFO, Vu Xuan Hong hailed Ambassador Maeve Collins for heractivities to help boost the two countries’ relations in the fields ofdiplomacy, culture, education, health care and especially assistance forhumanitarian activities and poverty eradication.
With her prestige, the Ambassador helped persuade Irish Aid to providenon-refundable aid worth 87.5 million EUR for the Vietnam NationalSupport Programme in the 2007-2010 period.
Irelandis now the biggest bilateral sponsor for Programme 135- agovernmental programme on poverty reduction and socio-economicdevelopment in very poor areas, providing it with 7.5 million EUR innon-refundable aid per year.
Ambassador MaeveCollins has been awarded certificates of merit of the Committee forEthnic Minorities Affairs and the Prime Minister for her contributionsto poverty eradication and the fight against drug, HIV andprostitution./.