Taking the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership to New Heights

On the afternoon of March 27, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Canadian Minister of Economic Development, International Trade and Export Promotion Mary Ng, who is visiting and working in Vietnam.

Welcoming Minister Mary Ng and the Canadian trade delegation to visit and work in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the visit positively contributes to strengthening the Vietnam-Canada Comprehensive Partnership in the context of the two countries celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

Thanking Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for taking the time to receive the delegation, the Minister in charge of Economic Development, International Trade and Export Promotion of Canada said that, following the exchanges between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Canadian trade delegation visiting Vietnam this time with more than 300 people, including representatives of 70 leading Canadian enterprises, demonstrated the interest and commitment of enterprises in seeking and continuing to promote investment in Vietnam.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Minister Mary Ng were pleased that the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries is developing deeply and extensively in all aspects.

Currently, Canada is Vietnam's third largest trading partner in the Americas and Vietnam is Canada's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region.

In 2023, due to the general impact of the global economy, Vietnam-Canada trade will only reach 6.24 billion USD. Canada is the 14th largest investor in Vietnam with more than 247 projects with a total registered capital of more than 4.82 billion USD.

However, the potential for development cooperation between the two countries is huge, especially in areas where each side has strengths and is highly complementary to each other; it is necessary to exploit and make the most of these potentials through bilateral and multilateral cooperation channels.

Informing about the situation in Vietnam and Vietnam's foreign policy, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also said that the world is currently facing many problems such as epidemics, conflicts, climate change, population aging, etc.; he said that these are global and national issues, so international solidarity and multilateralism are needed; he hoped that Canada would continue to cooperate with Vietnam to resolve challenges for the benefit of the two countries and peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Believing that over the past 50 years, the Vietnam-Canada relationship has developed well, in the next 50 years, the relationship between the two countries will become more and more favorable and better due to better conditions and a solid foundation built over time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that the two sides continue to coordinate closely to promote the exchange of high-level visits and all-level visits; make the most of old cooperation mechanisms and study the establishment of new cooperation mechanisms to promote cooperation in all areas of trade, investment, green transformation, digital transformation, high-tech industry, processing and manufacturing industry, climate change response, energy, science and technology, education and training.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude and hoped that Canada would continue to pay attention and create more favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Canada to live, study, do business conveniently and stably in the host country; and hoped that Canada would grant more scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in Canada.

Agreeing with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's opinion, informing about the 2nd Meeting of the Vietnam-Canada Joint Economic Committee, Minister Mary Ng said that the two sides agreed to make the most of existing cooperation mechanisms; continue to promote economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries to a new level, including implementing the Resource Mobilization Plan to implement the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Declaration, ensuring benefits for both sides.

Minister Mary Ng affirmed that Canada attaches importance to and highly appreciates Vietnam's role in ASEAN; as well as the role of Vietnam and ASEAN in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy; hopes that Vietnam and Canada will promote negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement and support Canada in its role as rotating Chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2024.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports and is ready to share with Canada to promote its role as the rotating chair of the CPTPP in 2024; promote negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement; and is ready to act as a bridge for Canadian goods to penetrate deeper into ASEAN. He hoped that the two sides would continue to promote and effectively utilize cooperation mechanisms within the framework of the CPTPP as well as other agreed mechanisms to further promote trade and investment capital flows, open markets, and create conditions for Vietnamese exports to increase their market share in Canada.

Discussing international issues, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked Canada to support the stance and viewpoint of ASEAN and Vietnam on the East Sea issue, including ensuring safety and freedom of navigation and aviation; resolving disputes by peaceful means, respecting international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); supporting efforts to effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Through Minister Mary Ng, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his regards and wishes for good health and success to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; informed that Vietnam is actively and satisfactorily handling the contents that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed in recent meetings, in accordance with regulations and relations between the two countries; and invited the Canadian Prime Minister to soon visit Vietnam to promote Vietnam-Canada relations to new heights.