Vietnam honours Canadian officials for boosting bilateral ties

The Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa held a meeting on August 25 to pay tribute to Canadian officials who have significantly contributed to enhancing bilateral ties between the two countries.

The event, which took place on the occasion of the 70 th traditional day of Vietnam’s diplomatic sector and the 42 nd founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, hosted about 50 guests.

At the function, Vietnamese Ambassador To Anh Dung expressed his gratitude to the people and Government of Canada for their friendship and valuable support to Vietnam’s efforts to end the war as well as the country’s reconstruction and development over the past 42 years.

He stressed the fruitful developments in bilateral ties, hoping the Canadian officials and friends would continue assisting in promoting the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Peter MacArthur—Director General of the South, Southeast Asia and Oceania Bureau under the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Department—affirmed Vietnam is an important partner of his country and highlighted dynamic progress in bilateral ties, as evidenced by Vietnam’s inclusion in the list of priorities in the Global Markets Action Plan, the International Education Strategy and the International Development Programme of Canada.

He voiced his hope that bilateral ties would continue to grow as Canada is increasing its attention to the Asia-Pacific, especially the Southeast Asian region.

Marius Grinius, the first Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam, told the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent about his first trip to the Southeast Asian nation in preparation for the establishment of the Canadian Embassy in the country from 1991-1993 as well as his working term as the Ambassador from 1997-1999.

He suggested Canada and Vietnam cooperate in trade, investment and security, including addressing challenges in the East Sea.

Another way to boost the relationship is to promote people-to-people exchanges, he said, explaining that Canada is home to more than 200,000 Vietnamese nationals.

Vietnam and Canada should put forth multidimensional approaches to advance their cooperation on the basis of friendship and dynamism, he noted.

At the event, participants viewed short films capturing the history, land and people of Vietnam while enjoying the country’s traditional dishes.-VNA