DUBLIN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said on Wednesday that Ireland is willing to further enhance economic and trade cooperation with China, particularly in the agrifood sector.
McConalogue made this remark while meeting Chinese Ambassador to Ireland He Xiangdong at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on Wednesday, according to a press statement from the Chinese embassy in Ireland.
McConalogue said that China is Ireland's third largest agrifood market outside the European Union and Ireland looks forward to exporting more high-quality agrifood products to China.
Ambassador He said that China and Ireland are complementary to each other in bilateral trade and China welcomes more Irish agrifood products' entry into the Chinese market.
He said that despite the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, the agrifood trade between China and Ireland has grown steadily thanks to the healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.
China stands ready to work with Ireland to further strengthen communication and expand friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, the ambassador said.
During the meeting, McConalogue, on behalf of the Irish government, also extended his warm wishes to the Chinese people on the occasion of the Chinese National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, both of which will fall on Oct. 1. Enditem
