Vietnam-Canada Parliamentary Exchange Boosts Strategic Partnership

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam met with members of the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group at the Canadian Parliament on September 24 (local time) during his state visit to Canada, according to Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper. The parliamentarians warmly welcomed the delegation led by General Secretary and President To Lam, expressing their honor and gratitude for the meeting, which holds historical significance for bilateral relations. They affirmed that the group, composed of 25 senators and members of Parliament from various Canadian provinces and territories, including Vietnamese-Canadian MP Chi Nguyen, reflects growing interest in strengthening ties with Vietnam within the Canadian Parliament. The parliamentarians highly appreciated the positive and substantive development of relations over the past 50 years and welcomed the recent upgrade of bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. They believe this new framework opens numerous opportunities for deeper cooperation. They emphasized the importance of strengthening economic and trade linkages between Canada and the region, acknowledging the CPTPP's role in expanding markets and promoting trade and investment for the mutual benefit of its members. The parliamentarians also noted that both Vietnam and Canada face the need to diversify their markets and partners, expressing a desire to enhance exchanges and share experiences in this regard. General Secretary and President To Lam conveyed greetings from Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and thanked the Canadian Parliament and the Friendship Group for their support. He announced the establishment of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Parliamentarians' Group in June 2026, which will further facilitate regular connections and cooperation between parliamentarians of both countries. To Lam shared that during his exchanges with Canadian Governor General, Prime Minister, and parliamentary leaders, both sides agreed that bilateral relations have ample room for development and upgraded them to a Strategic Partnership. He expressed confidence that this new framework will powerfully drive the utilization of complementary potentials and strengths, with parliamentary cooperation being a crucial pillar for consolidating political trust and promoting effective implementation of high-level agreements. He proposed that the friendship groups enhance delegation exchanges, meetings between parliamentarians, specialized committees, female parliamentarians, and young parliamentarians, and promote joint activities and experience sharing in legislation and oversight. He also urged them to foster broad consensus within the Canadian Parliament and society to strengthen relations with Vietnam. Furthermore, he called for continued promotion of economic, trade, and investment cooperation, effective utilization of the CPTPP, facilitation of market access for goods and businesses, and encouragement of Canadian investment in Vietnam's priority sectors. Breakthroughs are also sought in science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, clean energy, and high-quality human resource training, alongside expanded cooperation in education, exchanges, and scholarships, particularly in strategic fields like artificial intelligence and aerospace. To Lam also requested that the Canadian Parliament and government continue to create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community to settle, integrate successfully, and act as a bridge between the two nations, as well as facilitate travel, tourism, study, and business activities for citizens of both countries. The parliamentarians agreed with To Lam's proposed directions and pledged to contribute to the effective implementation of the Strategic Partnership, promoting cooperation in parliamentary affairs, economy-trade, science-technology, education-training, and people-to-people exchanges. They accepted the invitation to visit Vietnam to discuss further deepening parliamentary and people-to-people relations with their Vietnamese counterparts.