Vietnam wishes to enhance comprehensive partnership with Canada

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam always treasures and wishes to strengthen its comprehensive partnership with Canada in an effective and practical manner, President Tran Dai Quang has affirmed.

The State leader made the affirmation at a reception in Hanoi on July 26 for outgoing Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Ping Kitnikone.

President Quang said he is pleased with the comprehensive and significant development of the Vietnam-Canada ties over the past time, noting that the two countries have shared a number of interests in bilateral relations as well as at regional and global forums.

He recalled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attendance in the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Da Nang city and his official visit to Vietnam in November 2017, during which the two nations set up their comprehensive partnership.

Vietnam and Canada are coordinating well in organising activities to mark the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations this year, he said.

According to President Quang, together with the solidification of ties in traditional fields such as exchange of all-level delegations, economy-trade-investment, development cooperation, education-training, and people-to-people exchange, the two countries should enhance collaboration in areas with great potential like defence-security, science-technology, climate change response, sustainable development, and infrastructure development.

Ambassador Ping Kitnikone stressed that the establishment of the Vietnam-Canada comprehensive partnership has created a foundation for the two nations to expand their relations in all fields, from politics and defence-security to education-training, science-technology, and people-to-people exchange.

It also offered an opportunity for the strengthening of cooperation at multilateral forums and organisations such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the International Organisation of Francophone, the World Trade Organisation, and the Comprehensive Partnership and Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), she added.

Canada supports Vietnam in its bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure and believes the country will well perform this role, said the ambassador.

According to Ping Kitnikone, trade, investment and education are dynamic development cooperation areas between Vietnam and Canada in recent years. Vietnam has become the largest trade partner of Canada in ASEAN.

Canada appreciates the academic achievements of around 14,000 Vietnamese students in the country, she said, adding that his nation prioritises granting scholarships to Asian students, 30 percent of which will be dedicated to Vietnamese.

Sharing views with the diplomat, President Quang said Vietnam applauds the Canadian Government’s policy of increasing connectivity with the world, particularly the Asia-Pacific, as well as attaching importance to relations with Vietnam and ASEAN. 

Thanking the Canadian Government for backing Vietnam in international issues, President Quang said the two countries need to further their cooperation, both regionally and internationally, while continuing coordination at important multilateral forums and mechanisms like the UN, APEC, ASEAN, the International Organisation of Francophone, and CPTPP.-VNA