A delegation of transportation and education officials from Atlantic Canada will travel to Vietnam from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3 to boost trade and education links with the Southeast Asian country.

The mission, which is being organised by the Canadian Government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), includes pre-arranged one-on-one meetings between participating Atlantic Canadian delegates and key transportation and education stakeholders in Vietnam .

"This mission is critical for growing trade by promoting the benefits of Canada’s Atlantic Gateway to leading transportation stakeholders in Vietnam, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, second only to China,” Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway Peter MacKay was cited by news agencies as saying.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter said “this mission will help facilitate business and educational linkages and opportunities between Nova Scotia region and this burgeoning economy. Nova Scotia has already established some important relationships in Vietnam . We intend to build on them and others during the mission."

Trade between Canada and Vietnam surpassed an all-time high of 1.3 billion CAD in 2008, up 21.3 percent from 2007, and five times greater than the 1997 volume./.