Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in Hanoi on April 13. (Photo: VNA) Highly valuing Joly’s selection ofVietnam as one of the first two Asian countries to pay an official visit to asForeign Minister of Canada, the host noted with satisfaction that the twocountries’ relations have been growing effectively and substantively as seen inbilateral trade topping 6 billion USD in 2021, up 18.5 percent from 2020, andin the partnership in the COVID-19 combat and climate change response.
He took this occasion to thank theCanadian Government for giving 1.3 billion USD in official development assistanceto Vietnam since 1990.
PM Chinh asked the minister to helptighten the two countries’ connections, particularly in economy - trade -investment, security - defence, development support, COVID-19 and climate changeresponse, protection of the marine environment, clean and renewable energy,digital economy, innovation, green growth, green and sustainable agriculture,and training of high-quality human resources.
He called on Canada to continuecreating conditions for more Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural andaquatic products, to enter its market.
The Government leader also thanked andasked Canada to keep working closely to help about 240,000 Vietnamese people inthe country to make more contributions to Canada’s development as well as bilateralties.
For her part, Joly said her visit isto implement her country’s new Indo-Pacific strategy, in which Canada wishes tofurther intensify relations with some countries in the region, with Vietnambeing a leading priority.
She also applauded Vietnam’scommitment made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26),affirming that Canada will enhance ties with the Southeast Asian nation in respondingto climate change and realising the commitments at COP26.
Canada hopes to diversify and expandtrade links with Vietnam and boost cooperation within the framework of theComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),she went on, asking Vietnam to assist her country to step up the strategic partnershipwith ASEAN.
The minister also highlighted Canada’swillingness to cooperate with Vietnam in ensuring food security and pledgedcontinued assistance for the Vietnamese community in her country.
Discussing the East Sea issue, the twosides underscored the importance of peacefully resolving disputes on the basisof international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea;working towards a substantive, effective, and efficient code of conduct in the waters;and ensuring freedom, safety, and security of navigation and overflight in theEast Sea with all countries’ interests taken into consideration.
Regarding the Ukraine issue that theCanadian Foreign Minister mentioned, PM Chinh affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stanceof peacefully settling international disputes on the basis of international lawand the UN Charter, especially respecting the independence, sovereignty, andterritorial integrity of countries.
Vietnam always keeps a close watch onand is extremely concerned about the armed conflict in Ukraine. It calls for anend to the use of force and avoidance of causing casualties or losses tocivilians, he stressed.
Vietnam hopes that the relevant sideswill soon find out peaceful solutions to disagreements on the basis of internationallaw; the right and legal and legitimate interests of the parties concerned takeninto account; security, safety, and essential needs of civilians guaranteed;and humanitarian aid promoted, according to the PM./.
VNA
