Prime Minister receives Canadian Minister of International Development
VGP - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception for Canada's Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen in Ha Noi on January 8.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) hosts a reception for Canada's Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen in Ha Noi, January 8, 2024 - Photo: VGP
Both sides expressed their delight on fruitful achievements in such areas as politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, development cooperation, defense-security, culture-education, science-technology and people-to-people links.
Viet Nam is currently the biggest trade partner of Canada in ASEAN, with the two-way trade value reaching US$6.17 billion in 2023.
Canadian investors have poured US$4.82 billion in 247 projects in Viet Nam, ranking 14th among nations and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country.
The two economies are hugely and mutually complementary, they noted, proposing both nations optimize potential via bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.
Pham welcomed the Canadian Minister choosing Viet Nam as the first nation to visit after he took the office, which would further countribute to strengthening Viet Nam-Canada comprehensive partnership.
Viet Nam attaches importance to the relationship with Canada, expecting to promote the bilateral ties to a higher level on the basis of mutual interests, contributing to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world, Pham underscored.
He spoke highly of Canada's efforts to strengthen connectivity and collaboration with the region via the Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The host suggested both sides continue fostering cooperation in key sectors such as economy, trade, investment, education-training, and science-technology.
Pham expressed thanks to Canada for its official development assistance (ODA) for Viet Nam, expecting that the assistance should be steered to projects on infrastructure, energy, climate change adaption, especially in the Mekong Delta.
Ahmed Hussen, for his part, asserted that Viet Nam is a prioritized partner of Canada and plays a crucial role in Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Canada hopes to continuously consolidate and enhance mutual trust and close coordination with Viet Nam in both bilateral and multilateral aspects, and is willing to support the Southeast Asian nation to achieve its development goals, for a strong, independent, self-reliant and prosperous Viet Nam, he underscored.
He suggested the two countries should step up development cooperation with a focus on such areas like education, climate change adaption, and energy transition.
The Canadian minister hailed Viet Nam's commitments and efforts in climate change response, expressing his hope that Viet Nam will take part in Canada's Global Carbon Pricing Challenge (GCPC)./.
