Vietnam, Canada seek to boost ties in multiple fields
VOV.VN - With diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada first established in 1973 and relations upgraded to a comprehensive partnership in 2017, recent years has seen both sides strive to develop the relationship.
On July 16, Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Cao Phong presented a letter of credence from State President Nguyen Phu Trong to Governor-General of Canada Julie Payette.
Upon receiving the letter, Governor-General Payette expressed how impressed she has been with the working process of Ambassador Pham Cao Phong, wishing the diplomat great success during his term of office and hoping that he can contribute to fostering friendly relations between the two nations.
In response, Governor-General Payette recalled a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during his previous visit to Canada to attend the G7 Summit in June 2018, along with extending greetings to PM Phuc and other senior Vietnamese leaders. Indeed, recent times has seen the two sides conduct a series of phone talks between various high-ranking officials.
One noteworthy event was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Marta Morgan co-chairing a second political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level on July 9. This was done through an online platform with both sides agreeing on a range of measures aimed at further promoting mutual relations.
In terms of economic links, two-way trade turnover in 2019 reached approximately US$6 billion, a rise of 30% from 2018. In the context of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) coming into effect, there have been plenty of opportunities for Canadian businesses in the Vietnamese market.
Notably, these chances span across a variety of fields, ranging from aviation, information technology and telecommunications to farm produce, and minerals.
With an annual GDP growth rate of above 7% over the past two consecutive years, the country is considered by many Canadian scholars and businesses to represent a bright spot in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, Canada enjoys many strengths in the field of clean technology, road infrastructure, and renewable energy, all of which are areas of high demand for the nation, with the CPTPP expected to serve as a driving force for further co-operation between the two sides.
Furthermore, bilateral co-operation in other fields such as education, culture, and tourism has also seen consistent development. At present, the Vietnamese community in Canada, consisting of over 250,000 people, has been making positive contributions to developing friendship and co-operation ties between the pair.