Former Quebec premier Jean Charest (Photo: The Canadian Press) Ottawa (VNA) - Former Quebec premier JeanCharest has suggested Vietnam and Canada cooperate in sectors such asinfrastructure, health care, and medical education.
In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Charestsaid there is ample room for the two countries to step up trade ties, addingthat their exports are reciprocal.
Though Vietnam is Canada’s largest trade partner in ASEAN,two-way trade accounts for just 0.7 percent of the North American country’s total,he said.
The two countries have yet to bring into full play the advantagesbrought about by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP), he pointed out.
With Canada’s implementation of the updated version of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Vietnamese investors in Canada willhave opportunities to access both the US and Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP), signed by Vietnam and 14 other countries in mid-November, offers a newview on investment in Vietnam, Charest said.
Canada attaches importance to growing ties with Vietnam, acentre of FTAs in the Asia-Pacific, he said, adding that it can act as a bridgefor Canadian goods and services to access the 660 million-strong ASEAN market.
Vietnam should be considered as an investment destination byCanadian companies wishing to penetrate into Asia, he stressed./.
VNA
