Vietnamese Prime Minister held phone talks with Canadian counterpart Mark Carney

Congratulating Prime Minister Carney on his government's achievements and the confidence placed in him by the Canadian people, Prime Minister Le reaffirmed that Viet Nam always regards Canada as an important partner in its foreign policy.

Le welcomed the steady and comprehensive progress in bilateral relations over nearly a decade since the two countries elevated ties to a Comprehensive Partnership thanks to the active maintenance of high-level contacts and close coordination at regional and international multilateral forums.

Prime Minister Le noted that the effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has helped Viet Nam and Canada become important trade and investment partners, with the two-way trade doubling over the past five years.

Cooperation in defense, security, development assistance, education and training, and people-to-people exchanges has also continued to evolve, he added.

To further strengthen bilateral ties, Prime Minister Le proposed that the two countries beef up the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level visits, while enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, law enforcement, science and technology, and human resource development.

He called on Canada to expand market access for Vietnamese agricultural, forestry and fishery products and to encourage Canadian enterprises to invest in priority sectors in Viet Nam, including energy, the green economy and the circular economy.

The Vietnamese leader also suggested the two sides establish bilateral law enforcement cooperation mechanisms, strengthen collaboration in training high-quality human resources in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and semiconductors, and maintain close coordination at multilateral forums.

For his side, Carney congratulated Le upon his election as the Prime Minister of Viet Nam and expressed confidence that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam headed by General Secretary and President To Lam and the Government led by Prime Minister Le, Viet Nam will continue to achieve new development milestones and further enhance its international standing.

Describing Viet Nam as one of Canada's key partners in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Carney said the two countries share strong political trust, growing trade and investment ties, vibrant people-to-people exchanges and common interests in promoting stability and prosperity amid an increasingly complex global environment.

He agreed with Prime Minister Le on the positive momentum of bilateral relations and the significant potential for expanding cooperation, expressing support for elevating the Comprehensive Partnership to a new level in the near future.

Carney also called for stronger cooperation in sustainable and inclusive development, energy, aerospace, agriculture, food safety, science and technology, and high-quality workforce training. He proposed exploring the establishment of direct air links and expanding people-to-people exchanges to reinforce the long-term foundation of bilateral relations.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen coordination in addressing regional and global challenges and reaffirmed their support for ASEAN centrality, as well as ASEAN's and Viet Nam's consistent position on settling disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Prime Minister Carney thanked Viet Nam for its support during negotiations on the Canada–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and praised Viet Nam's role as Chair of the CPTPP. He expressed hope that the two countries would continue working together to expand the CPTPP's connectivity with other international partners.

Carney also reaffirmed Canada's support for Viet Nam as host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2027 and pledged continued close coordination at regional and international forums./.