Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Justin Trudeau wave at Vietnamese children at the welcome ceremony on November 8 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Canada issued a joint statement on theestablishment of a comprehensive partnership during Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau’s official visit to Vietnam on November 8-9.
In the joint statement, the two countries emphasise the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and supporting the maintenance of a rule-based order for the seas and oceans, including the East Sea (known as the South China Sea internationally).
Thefollowing is the full text of the joint statement:
“JOINT STATEMENT
BY THESOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND CANADA ON
THE ESTABLISHMENTOF A COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP
Canada and Vietnamhave decided to enhance their cooperation and friendship towards a comprehensive,substantive, effective, stable and sustainable relationship both bilaterally,regionally and internationally, to meet their interests and to contribute tomaintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia Pacific andthe world, based on respect for the Charter of the United Nations, basicprinciples of international law, and their respective national law.
Founded on the fruitfuland multifaceted relationship they have developed since establishing theirdiplomatic relations in 1973, Canada and Vietnam have jointly decided to establisha Comprehensive Partnership encompassing the following areas:
Political and Diplomatic:
1. Canada and Vietnamwill continue the exchange of high-level visits and regular senior-level dialoguesbetween their respective governments, including Bilateral Consultations atDeputy Minister level, and welcome interactions between entities associatedwith their political parties and their parliaments.
2. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to cooperate closely in multilateral institutions, including theUnited Nations (UN), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Association ofSouth East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and La Francophonie. Canada and Vietnamreaffirm their shared commitment to maintain world peace, security andstability, uphold the UN Charter and principles of international law, and will considercooperation in relevant areas of mutual interest bilaterally and multilaterallyin a respectful and constructive manner, in order to contribute to thepromotion of their relationship.
3. Canada and Vietnam emphasise theimportance of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region;supporting the maintenance of a rule-based order for the seas and oceans,including the South China Sea. This approach will be based on internationallaw, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS); supporting the assurance of freedom of navigation, aviation, tradeand the use of oceans for peaceful purposes, protecting the environment and maritimeecosystem.
4. Canada and Vietnam affirm their supportfor the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea, including fullrespect for diplomatic and legal processes and in accordance with internationallaw.
5. Canada and Vietnamunderscore the important role of ASEAN in the regional architecture, supportefforts to build a strong and prosperous rule-based ASEAN Community, andwelcome ASEAN’s initiatives to maintain regional peace, security and preventconfrontations, such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SouthChina Sea (DOC) and Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
6. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to work together to address global challenges, including counterterrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and non-traditionalchallenges such as transnational crimes, climate change, maritime security,food security, water security and to safeguard the environment. Canada and Vietnamwill work to protect biodiversity and habitats from illegal exploitation andtrafficking as well as support actions to implement the Hanoi Statement on theIllegal Wildlife Trade.
7. Canada and Vietnamrecognise the importance of protection and promotion of human rights inconformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments,including to uphold the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights,and express willingness to enhance mutual understanding.
Tradeand Investment:
8. Canada and Vietnam are committed to reciprocaltrade and investment as an important driver of their relationship. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to maintain their interest in each other as important markets andpromote bilateral trade and investment in key sectors.
9. Canada and Vietnam will facilitate trade transactionsand promptly resolve issues that may arise in the trade and investment relationshipbased on a principle of equality, mutual benefit and cooperation; and enhancecollaboration in multilateral economic, trade and financial cooperation mechanismsincluding the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia Pacific Economic CooperationForum (APEC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).
10. Canada and Vietnam will examine the potentialfor a Canada – ASEAN free trade agreement and promote implementation of the Trans-PacificPartnership Agreement.
DevelopmentCooperation:
11. Canada and Vietnam note the contributionof development cooperation to their overall relationship over the past decades,and will continue their strong partnerships for sustainable development intheir bilateral relations. Canada recognises Vietnam’s outstanding achievementsin poverty reduction since the 1990s and its current development aspirationunder Vietnam 2035. Vietnam highly appreciates the official developmentassistance that Canada has provided and the long-standing partnershipunderpinning bilateral development cooperation.
12. Canada and Vietnam renew theircommitment to fulfilling the terms of their 1994 General Agreement onDevelopment Cooperation, as the basis of their continued partnership. Canadaand Vietnam commit to continuing their long-standing policy dialogue on enhancingdevelopment effectiveness and efficiency as mutually beneficial goals and as fundamentalprerequisites for continued cooperation.
13. Canada recognises the need for a new,more strategic approach to development cooperation and will seek to allocateavailable resources to programs that align with Canada’s feminist InternationalAssistance Policy, and respond directly to Vietnam’s developmental challenges,such as poverty reduction, rural development as outlined in Vietnam’sSocio-Economic Development Plan 2016 – 2020. In this regard, Canada’sdevelopment cooperation will support Vietnam’s efforts to combat climate changeand promote sustainable development through the implementation of the UN’s 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Defenseand Security:
14. Canada and Vietnam share commoninterests for peace and security in the Asia Pacific region and will continueto engage in multilateral and bilateral dialogue and cooperation on national defenceand security matters, capacity building and training.
15. Canada and Vietnam will explore andadvance cooperation in the areas of peacekeeping, maritime security, humanitarianassistance and disaster relief, among other areas of mutual interest andbenefit. Canada and Vietnam will continue to explore ways to enhancecooperation on national defence through the Military Training and CooperationProgram, as well as training programs led by Vietnam.
16. Canada and Vietnam have decided to explorenew areas of cooperation to enhance security, including capacity building inareas of mutual interests.
Culturaland Academic Exchange:
17. Vietnam notes favourably Canada’s continuedefforts to attract growing numbers of Vietnamese students to pursue studies at Canadianeducational institutions, and Canada welcomes the growing number of Vietnamesestudents pursuing educational opportunities in Canada.
18. While recognising that education isunder the jurisdiction of Canadian provincial governments, Canada and Vietnamhave decided to promote and facilitate enhanced academic cooperation, mobility,including through the establishment of partnerships and student exchange programsbetween educational institutions.
Science,Technology and Innovation:
19. Canada and Vietnam will promote and strengthencooperation in areas such as energy, clean and sustainable technologies, agricultureand agri-food, Information and Communications Technology and marine and environmentalresearch, including climate change adaption and mitigation. The aim will be tofacilitate engagement of various innovation stakeholders to share information,experience and topics of mutual interest. Both countries further endeavor toexplore potential opportunities to collaborate in respect to R&D, deploymentand commercialization of innovative, forward-looking clean technology toaddress global climate challenges.
People-to-people ties:
20. Canada and Vietnamwelcome the strong and growing people-to-people links that already existbetween them across all levels of society and across a broad spectrum of business,academic, media, cultural, sport, tourismand non-governmental organisations. Canada and Vietnam will work to strengthenthese links, through cooperation in various fields, provinces and territories.Canada and Vietnam recognise the contributions of the Vietnamese community toCanada. Canada’s policy of multiculturalism welcomes the Vietnamese culture andvalues, and this promotes friendly relations between their peoples. Canada and Vietnamencourage people-to-people ties that will foster friendly bilateral relations.”-VNA
BY THESOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND CANADA ON
THE ESTABLISHMENTOF A COMPREHENSIVE PARTNERSHIP
Canada and Vietnamhave decided to enhance their cooperation and friendship towards a comprehensive,substantive, effective, stable and sustainable relationship both bilaterally,regionally and internationally, to meet their interests and to contribute tomaintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia Pacific andthe world, based on respect for the Charter of the United Nations, basicprinciples of international law, and their respective national law.
Founded on the fruitfuland multifaceted relationship they have developed since establishing theirdiplomatic relations in 1973, Canada and Vietnam have jointly decided to establisha Comprehensive Partnership encompassing the following areas:
Political and Diplomatic:
1. Canada and Vietnamwill continue the exchange of high-level visits and regular senior-level dialoguesbetween their respective governments, including Bilateral Consultations atDeputy Minister level, and welcome interactions between entities associatedwith their political parties and their parliaments.
2. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to cooperate closely in multilateral institutions, including theUnited Nations (UN), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Association ofSouth East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and La Francophonie. Canada and Vietnamreaffirm their shared commitment to maintain world peace, security andstability, uphold the UN Charter and principles of international law, and will considercooperation in relevant areas of mutual interest bilaterally and multilaterallyin a respectful and constructive manner, in order to contribute to thepromotion of their relationship.
3. Canada and Vietnam emphasise theimportance of maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region;supporting the maintenance of a rule-based order for the seas and oceans,including the South China Sea. This approach will be based on internationallaw, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea(UNCLOS); supporting the assurance of freedom of navigation, aviation, tradeand the use of oceans for peaceful purposes, protecting the environment and maritimeecosystem.
4. Canada and Vietnam affirm their supportfor the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea, including fullrespect for diplomatic and legal processes and in accordance with internationallaw.
5. Canada and Vietnamunderscore the important role of ASEAN in the regional architecture, supportefforts to build a strong and prosperous rule-based ASEAN Community, andwelcome ASEAN’s initiatives to maintain regional peace, security and preventconfrontations, such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SouthChina Sea (DOC) and Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
6. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to work together to address global challenges, including counterterrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and non-traditionalchallenges such as transnational crimes, climate change, maritime security,food security, water security and to safeguard the environment. Canada and Vietnamwill work to protect biodiversity and habitats from illegal exploitation andtrafficking as well as support actions to implement the Hanoi Statement on theIllegal Wildlife Trade.
7. Canada and Vietnamrecognise the importance of protection and promotion of human rights inconformity with their own constitutions and respective international commitments,including to uphold the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights,and express willingness to enhance mutual understanding.
Tradeand Investment:
8. Canada and Vietnam are committed to reciprocaltrade and investment as an important driver of their relationship. Canada and Vietnamwill continue to maintain their interest in each other as important markets andpromote bilateral trade and investment in key sectors.
9. Canada and Vietnam will facilitate trade transactionsand promptly resolve issues that may arise in the trade and investment relationshipbased on a principle of equality, mutual benefit and cooperation; and enhancecollaboration in multilateral economic, trade and financial cooperation mechanismsincluding the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia Pacific Economic CooperationForum (APEC), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).
10. Canada and Vietnam will examine the potentialfor a Canada – ASEAN free trade agreement and promote implementation of the Trans-PacificPartnership Agreement.
DevelopmentCooperation:
11. Canada and Vietnam note the contributionof development cooperation to their overall relationship over the past decades,and will continue their strong partnerships for sustainable development intheir bilateral relations. Canada recognises Vietnam’s outstanding achievementsin poverty reduction since the 1990s and its current development aspirationunder Vietnam 2035. Vietnam highly appreciates the official developmentassistance that Canada has provided and the long-standing partnershipunderpinning bilateral development cooperation.
12. Canada and Vietnam renew theircommitment to fulfilling the terms of their 1994 General Agreement onDevelopment Cooperation, as the basis of their continued partnership. Canadaand Vietnam commit to continuing their long-standing policy dialogue on enhancingdevelopment effectiveness and efficiency as mutually beneficial goals and as fundamentalprerequisites for continued cooperation.
13. Canada recognises the need for a new,more strategic approach to development cooperation and will seek to allocateavailable resources to programs that align with Canada’s feminist InternationalAssistance Policy, and respond directly to Vietnam’s developmental challenges,such as poverty reduction, rural development as outlined in Vietnam’sSocio-Economic Development Plan 2016 – 2020. In this regard, Canada’sdevelopment cooperation will support Vietnam’s efforts to combat climate changeand promote sustainable development through the implementation of the UN’s 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Defenseand Security:
14. Canada and Vietnam share commoninterests for peace and security in the Asia Pacific region and will continueto engage in multilateral and bilateral dialogue and cooperation on national defenceand security matters, capacity building and training.
15. Canada and Vietnam will explore andadvance cooperation in the areas of peacekeeping, maritime security, humanitarianassistance and disaster relief, among other areas of mutual interest andbenefit. Canada and Vietnam will continue to explore ways to enhancecooperation on national defence through the Military Training and CooperationProgram, as well as training programs led by Vietnam.
16. Canada and Vietnam have decided to explorenew areas of cooperation to enhance security, including capacity building inareas of mutual interests.
Culturaland Academic Exchange:
17. Vietnam notes favourably Canada’s continuedefforts to attract growing numbers of Vietnamese students to pursue studies at Canadianeducational institutions, and Canada welcomes the growing number of Vietnamesestudents pursuing educational opportunities in Canada.
18. While recognising that education isunder the jurisdiction of Canadian provincial governments, Canada and Vietnamhave decided to promote and facilitate enhanced academic cooperation, mobility,including through the establishment of partnerships and student exchange programsbetween educational institutions.
Science,Technology and Innovation:
19. Canada and Vietnam will promote and strengthencooperation in areas such as energy, clean and sustainable technologies, agricultureand agri-food, Information and Communications Technology and marine and environmentalresearch, including climate change adaption and mitigation. The aim will be tofacilitate engagement of various innovation stakeholders to share information,experience and topics of mutual interest. Both countries further endeavor toexplore potential opportunities to collaborate in respect to R&D, deploymentand commercialization of innovative, forward-looking clean technology toaddress global climate challenges.
People-to-people ties:
20. Canada and Vietnamwelcome the strong and growing people-to-people links that already existbetween them across all levels of society and across a broad spectrum of business,academic, media, cultural, sport, tourismand non-governmental organisations. Canada and Vietnam will work to strengthenthese links, through cooperation in various fields, provinces and territories.Canada and Vietnam recognise the contributions of the Vietnamese community toCanada. Canada’s policy of multiculturalism welcomes the Vietnamese culture andvalues, and this promotes friendly relations between their peoples. Canada and Vietnamencourage people-to-people ties that will foster friendly bilateral relations.”-VNA
VNA
