Ottawa (VNA) — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President To Lam has urged the Vietnamese community in Canada to continue strengthening national solidarity, preserving Vietnamese cultural values and making practical contributions to national development, while serving as a bridge for closer Vietnam-Canada relations.
Speaking at a meeting with Vietnamese Embassy officials, staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Canada on the evening of September 25 (local time), General Secretary and President Lam said the two countries have decided to upgrade their relations to a Strategic Partnership.
The move, nearly 10 years after the establishment of their Comprehensive Partnership in November 2017, reflects growing political trust and the two sides’ determination to make bilateral ties deeper, more substantive and effective, he said.
The new framework will open up greater space for cooperation, with trade and investment ties and economic integration serving as key drivers, while science and technology and digital transformation will provide new impetus for growth. The two countries will also expand cooperation in energy, agriculture, the environment and sustainable development, promote people-to-people exchanges, and support the Vietnamese community in Canada in its integration and development.
General Secretary and President Lam stressed that bilateral friendship and cooperation have been nurtured by people living and working in both countries, with the Vietnamese community in Canada playing an important bridging role.
Vietnamese people in Canada are both an integral part of the Vietnamese nation and active members of Canadian society, he said. They understand both countries and possess knowledge, experience and networks that can contribute to closer bilateral ties.
The Party and State consider people, knowledge and creativity decisive resources for achieving the goal of making Vietnam a developed, high-income country by 2045, the top leader said.
Vietnam needs scientists, experts, entrepreneurs and intellectuals with professional capabilities and international experience, as well as knowledge, technology, management expertise and global networks to contribute to national development in the new era, he added.
The top leader praised the Vietnamese community in Canada for its growth and contributions to the host country’s socio-economic life and cultural diversity. He also commended its efforts to preserve and promote the Vietnamese language, culture and family traditions among younger generations.
He called on Vietnamese families in Canada to create more opportunities for young people to return to Vietnam, experience the country and learn about its history and culture, helping them better understand their roots and strengthen their Vietnamese identity.
He said Resolution No. 23, issued on August 2, represents a new development in the Party’s thinking on overseas Vietnamese affairs, identifying Vietnamese people abroad not only as an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation but also as an important strategic resource contributing to national strength.
The Party and State will continue improving institutions and policies to connect, attract and effectively mobilise resources from overseas Vietnamese, particularly intellectuals, experts, entrepreneurs, scientists and young people, he said.
General Secretary and President Lam asked the Vietnamese community in Canada to continue nurturing national solidarity, promoting Vietnamese cultural values, supporting younger generations and Vietnamese students, strengthening community ties and contributing to deeper and more substantive Vietnam-Canada relations.
He also asked Vietnamese representative agencies in Canada to remain proactive and creative in strengthening bilateral ties, support community activities and associations, and improve citizen protection work.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Vinh Quang said the Vietnamese community in Canada now numbers nearly 300,000. The community has integrated deeply into Canadian society while maintaining its cultural identity, with young Vietnamese making strong contributions in technology, education, research and entrepreneurship.
Community representatives expressed pride in Vietnam’s achievements and welcomed the new policies under Politburo Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs, hoping they would create further opportunities for Vietnamese people abroad to remain connected with the homeland and contribute their expertise and strengths to national development and to relations between Vietnam and other countries./.
