Since nomarlising diplomatic ties in July 1995, Vietnamese and US relations have developed in many fields. The two countries have exchanged a number of senior level visits, including Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the US in June 2008. Both countries agreed to develop a constructive partnership, friendship and multilateral co-operation and to devise a specific co-operative mechanism in the fields of politics, economics and trade, science and technology, education and training.

Trade, economic and investment relations between the two countries have grown strongly. Two-way trade value was US$14.5 billion in 2008 and is estimated to have reached US$6.2 billion in the first half of this year. By August 2009, US FDI in Vietnam was US$8.58 billion, ranking 7^th among foreign investors in Vietnam.

Vietnamese and Canadian relations have also developed well through close co-operation in international forums such as the UN, ASEAN, WTO, the Francophone Association, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and APEC. The two countries have also exchanged a number of senior level visits. These include the visits by former deputy Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (June 1994), former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam (November 1998), former Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dy Nien (September 2003), former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (June 2005), and State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan (October 2008). On the Canadian side, these include visits of former Prime Minister J.Chretien (November 1994 and 1997), former Minister of Foreign Affairs A.Ouellet (November 1995), former Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley (July 2001) and Prime Minister Stephen Harper (November 2006). In 2008, the two countries celebrated the 35^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Vietnamese and Canadian economic and trade relations have made significant progress in recent years. Two way trade value increased significantly from US$121 million in 1998 to nearly US$1 billion in 2007 and around US$1.2 billion in 2008. It reached US$107.4 million in the first two months of this year.

In short, official visits of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem will help to strengthen relations as well as boost bilateral and multilateral co-operation with these countries, especially in the economy, trade and investment co-operation.