Yu Hongjun visits Ireland
 ( 2014.03.29 )

DUBLIN, March 29 -- A delegation headed by Yu Hongjun, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, visited Ireland from March 28th to 29th. During the stay in Ireland, Yu met respectively with Eamon Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labor Party, deputy prime minister and minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, James Reilly, deputy leader of Fine Gael, minister for Health, Brendan Smith, spokesman for Foreign Affairs of Fianna Fail, and held talks with Irish think-tank scholars to introduce the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee and spirits of the recent sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and exchanged views with them on strengthening party-to-party relations and promoting development of bilateral relations.

Yu said that the Communist Party of China attaches great importance to relations with major parties of Ireland and is willing to have in-depth exchanges on governance and mutual learning so as to promote the development of China-Ireland relations. Yu also suggested a mechanism of mutual visits every other year between the Irish Labor Party and the CPC. It is also important to strengthen exchanges between young political leaders and make full use of multilateral occasions to have dialogues and brief each other on major policies so as to further deepen party-to-party relations.

The Irish side said that deepening party-to-party relations serves the common interests of the two countries, and is willing to further enhance dialogue and understanding with the Communist Party of China, constantly enrich the connotation of the strategic partnership for mutually beneficial cooperation. Eamon Gilmore said that he fully agreed with the four-point suggestions proposed by the Chinese side and the Irish Labor Party looks forward to having the mechanism of exchanges with the Communist Party of China.

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