Prime Minister receives new Canadian, Qatar diplomats

Hanoi (VNA) – Canada and Vietnam boast a great opportunity to promote their bond, especially in trade, investment, official development assistance (ODA), education-training and people-to-people exchange, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told Canada’s new ambassador to Vietnam Ping Kitnikone. 

Meeting with the diplomat in Hanoi on December 20, PM Phuc reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to creating all favourable conditions for Canada’s investment projects in Vietnam, suggesting the two sides bolster trade links in the time ahead. 

While expressing his delight at the positive results of Vietnam-Canada relations, he said Canada is a reliable ODA provider and the two countries need to closely coordinate at regional and international forums, including the UN. 

Appreciating PM Phuc’s commitments, Ping Kitnikone affirmed her country will expand cooperation with Vietnam, especially in economy, trade and investment. 

Canada is willing to work with Vietnam to address challenges in climate change adaptation and food safety, she said. 

She revealed that a delegation of Canadian enterprises specialising in aerospace will make a fact-finding tour of Vietnam in the coming time to seek cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese counterparts. 

Vietnam is now Canada’s largest trade partner in ASEAN, with two-way trade value reaching 3 billion USD after the first nine months of 2016. The two countries have also effectively cooperated in education and training. At present, about 5,000 Vietnamese students are pursuing their study in Canada. 

The same day, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc also hosted a reception for Qatar’s newly-appointed ambassador to Vietnam Mohammed El-Emadi, during which he suggested strengthening cooperation between the two nations in trade, investment, and labour. 

He said Vietnam considers Qatar as a potential partner, especially in infrastructure development and hopes to promote export to the country and other Arabian nations. 

He called on the diplomat to work to foster links in the above-mentioned fields, contributing to enhancing the bilateral relations. 

For his part, Mohammed El-Emadi pledged to do his best to step up the relations between the two countries, especially in the fields suggested by the PM. 

Qatar is willing to receive more Vietnamese skilled guest workers, he stated./.