Vietnam and Canada should further their cooperation in culture, tourism, labour and the exchange of students, along with economic and trade ties, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son has said.

Son, who is head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, made the suggestion at a meeting with Canada’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Jean and representatives of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration in Ottawa as part of his visit to the country from March 9-15.

He thanked the Canadian Government and Parliament for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the host country.

The diplomat affirmed that Vietnam , as an active and prestigious member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stands ready to serve as a bridge for Canada and other countries in the region.

At the meeting, Son was briefed on Canada’s policies on immigration, multiculturalism and race, which relate to nearly 250,000 Vietnamese people there.

Praising the Vietnamese community’s contributions, the Canadian officials pledged continued support for them to integrate into the host country.

Jean expressed his delight at the fruitful cooperation between Vietnam and Canada over the past four decades, stressing Canada attaches importance to developing relations with Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.

He also noted his hope for the early signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and Canada ’s participation in the East Asia Summit (EAS).

During his stay in Ottawa, Son also met with Ngo Thanh Hai, Canadian senator of Vietnamese origin, who was asked to made pragmatic contributions to enhancing the bilateral cooperation in culture, education, economics and trade.

While touring Vancouver and Ottawa cities, the Deputy FM had working sessions with representatives of the Vietnamese community.-VNA
He briefed them about Vietnam ’s policies on various areas ranging from nationality, entrance and exit to land, housing, investment, business, remittance, residence and national defence.
The official encouraged them to contribute more to the homeland, including the teaching and learning of Vietnamese language and the promotion of Vietnamese culture abroad.