On the occasion of accompanying General Secretary and President To Lam on a state visit to the Republic of Ireland, on the afternoon of October 3 (local time), in the capital Dublin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Le Thi Thu Hang visited the family of Mr. and Mrs. Eamon McMullen who adopted a Vietnamese child, Ngo Huong Thao.
Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang expressed her emotion when seeing that Thao had been raised and grown up in the loving arms of Mr. and Mrs. McMullen's family.
The Deputy Minister was pleased to say that the Vietnamese community in Ireland, with about 5,000 people, has a stable and united life, contributing to the prosperity of Ireland, actively promoting Vietnamese culture and teaching Vietnamese to generations of children born and raised in Ireland.
Such people-to-people, cultural, educational and tourism exchange activities have been contributing to enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries.
Kindly asking about Thao, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang introduced a number of activities organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese for overseas Vietnamese youth and students every year, including the Vietnam Summer Camp.
The Deputy Minister encouraged the child to study well and always strive to be worthy of the love that his adoptive parents have for him; hoped that he would spend time learning Vietnamese, learning about the beauty of Vietnamese culture and if he had the opportunity, he would return to his homeland and attend the Vietnam Summer Camp to further love and be attached to the land where he was born.
The Deputy Minister hopes that the family will continue to create a favorable environment for Thao to learn and maintain her mother tongue, practice the beautiful national culture and maintain connections with Vietnam through participating in activities of the Vietnamese community in Ireland, as well as bringing Thao back to visit her homeland when possible.
In response to Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang's sentiments, Mr. and Mrs. McMullen's family sincerely thanked the Deputy Minister for his concern and encouragement; emotionally recounted the process of adopting Thao; said they would encourage Thao to learn Vietnamese, learn about traditional Vietnamese culture and create conditions for her to visit her homeland and participate in activities organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.
Ngo Huong Thao was found abandoned in Ve An ward, Bac Ninh province when she was only 2-3 days old and was handed over to the Center for Nurturing Meritorious People and Social Protection of Bac Ninh province on December 10, 2007. In May 2008, Thao was adopted by Mr. Eamon McMullen and Mrs. Annette McMullen (Irish nationality).
Ireland is currently Vietnam’s leading partner in adoption cooperation. The two countries signed an adoption agreement in 2003 and to date many Vietnamese children have found homes in Ireland, opening up opportunities for disadvantaged children to be raised in a peaceful environment, access advanced education, and develop society.
