On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada (August 21, 8 – August 1973, 21), Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Vinh Quang gave an interview to a VNA reporter in Ottawa. on the achievements of the cooperation relationship between the two countries in the past time as well as the prospects for cooperation in the future.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Vinh Quang said some key activities will be organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada in 2023. Photo: Trung Dung/VNA reporter in Canada
How does the Ambassador evaluate the achievements of the cooperation relationship between Vietnam and Canada over the past 50 years?
Vietnam and Canada have long had close and close feelings. Canada twice participated in the Armistice Committee in Vietnam in 1954 and 1973. The late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once supported the anti-war movement in Vietnam and was the one who decided to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. . Over the past 50 years, the two countries have promoted sustainable relations and achieved many achievements. By 2017, the two sides upgraded the relationship framework to a comprehensive partnership, cooperating in all fields.
In the field of politics and diplomacy, the two sides regularly maintain high-level delegation exchanges. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vietnam and on this occasion, the two countries established a comprehensive partnership. Our Prime Minister attended the G7 Summit in Canada in 2018. Senior leaders of the two countries also maintained contacts on the sidelines of multilateral conferences and forums. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met his Canadian counterpart on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in November 11 and on the sidelines of the G2022 Summit in Japan in May 7. These are occasions for the two sides to make decisions to strengthen and promote relations with each other.
Vietnam and Canada also share many common views on regional and international issues. The two sides maintain an annual political dialogue mechanism at the deputy minister level. Along with state diplomacy, cooperation, exchange of Party and National Assembly channels and people-to-people exchanges have also been promoted. In 2021, the Vietnam – Canada Parliamentary Group was established and the Canada – Vietnam Parliamentary Group was established in 2022.
Trade and investment cooperation is the top priority of the two countries. Vietnam is Canada’s largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while Canada is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner, after the US, in the Americas. Two-way trade turnover always achieves double-digit growth per year, reaching 2 billion USD in 7 (according to Canadian statistics, this figure is 2022 billion USD due to including the volume of goods transited through the US). ). By the end of 13, Canada ranked 2022th out of 14 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with nearly 130 projects worth nearly 250 billion USD. Meanwhile, Vietnam also invested in Canada, reaching 5 million USD, accounting for 150% of Vietnam’s total investment capital abroad.
In order to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the two sides have established a Joint Committee on the Economy in 2022.
Defense and security cooperation has also been developed with the two sides establishing the annual Defense Policy Strategic Dialogue Mechanism and actively implementing the Defense Cooperation Plan for the 2021-2023 period.
Cooperation on education is also a bright spot. Currently, there are about 21.000 Vietnamese international students studying at all levels of study in Canada, ranking third among the countries with the most international students in Canada. We have cooperation in tourism, people-to-people exchanges, and localities of Vietnam also maintain close local cooperation with Canada to enlist Canada’s support in developing mountainous localities.
Regarding development cooperation, since 1990, Canada has always been among the leading countries in development aid to Vietnam with a total value of about 2 billion CAD.
What does the Ambassador think about the potential for cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, both in bilateral relations and at multilateral forums?
Over the past 50 years, the relationship between Vietnam and Canada has achieved many achievements, but the potential of the two sides is still very much.
First of all, we have to talk about political and diplomatic cooperation. The two countries share many common views on regional and international issues. Both Vietnam and Canada aspire to build a peaceful, stable and developed Asia-Pacific region based on the observance of principles of international law such as the United Nations Charter and the Convention. United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. The two sides also want to build order, rules and regulations in the waters, including the East Sea.
In the program to attend the G7 Expanded Summit and work in Hiroshima (Japan), on the morning of May 20, 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Photo: Duong Giang/TTXVN)
Canada has recently become more interested in regional cooperation, with the adoption of the Indo-Pacific strategy last November and next September, Canada will upgrade its relationship with ASEAN to a strategic partnership. These are important bases for Vietnam and Canada to promote together because we always want to build a good relationship between ASEAN and Canada so that we can promote better bilateral relations.
The second is about economy, trade and investment. Canada is a member of the G7, the 14th largest economy in the world. Meanwhile, Vietnam is a developing economy, with about 100 million people, a agile and qualified workforce. This is a large market, attracting foreign investment. Canada sees the Vietnamese market as a gateway for them to enter ASEAN as well as the Asia-Pacific market.
Vietnam can take advantage of Canada’s strengths in advanced technology and science to support the development in the process of industrialization and modernization of the country and in infrastructure development, green economy, energy clean energy, energy conversion, response to climate change.
One of our strengths in cooperation that needs to be exploited is the Vietnamese community in Canada, with about 300.000 people. This is a great resource, contributing to the development of the country. With the contribution of expatriates, we can promote to develop relations in all fields, including people-to-people exchange, education and development cooperation.
Another area that needs to be mentioned is tourism and cultural exchange. We have thousands of years of civilization, have a culture steeped in national identity and it has many features that attract Canadian tourists. Canada is also a beautiful country, with many attractive destinations and a place for Vietnamese to travel.
Cooperation at multilateral forums is an area where Vietnam and Canada share a lot. The two sides are part of the ASEAN partnership, working together within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Francophonie, United Nations. These are the basis for us to work closely with Canada on multilateral issues.
Could you tell us about the focus of cooperation between Vietnam and Canada in 2023?
2023 is a memorable year as the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of cooperative relations. This is an opportunity for us to look back and organize activities to contribute to the faster and more effective development of bilateral relations, in line with the set goal of being a comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Canada.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Vancouver have plans to organize a series of events in 2023. These events are also associated with activities organized by Vietnamese ministries and sectors. in Vietnam as well as a series of events organized by the Embassy of Canada in Hanoi in collaboration with the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada is expected to hold a large, official celebration in Ottawa, with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Canadian ministries and branches, of the Vietnamese community in Canada. and unions, close social organizations and friends who have feelings for and contribute to the relationship of the two sides.
The Embassy will also coordinate to organize “Vietnamese Culture Day in Canada” in a number of major Canadian cities to introduce Vietnam’s economic, cultural, social achievements and national cultural identity. .
In addition, we will also organize economic and trade activities through a series of seminars on economic development opportunities in Canada and Vietnam. One of the main activities within this framework is the trade promotion forum organized by the International Trade Committee of the House of Commons of Canada (expected in November 11); At the same time, it will also organize a series of activities and promote Vietnamese goods in four Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Colombia to evaluate the five-year implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Duong (CPTPP).
In addition, supporting activities on tourism, cuisine, and forums for Vietnamese students’ activities will be organized to promote widely, in order to increase the understanding of Vietnam’s image to the world. Canadian people.
Hopefully with the above activities this year, we can further promote cooperation and exchange to a higher level.
Thank you very much Ambassador!
Cong Dao