Vietnamese PM, Canadian Counterpart Hold Phone Talks, Agree to Leverage CPTPP and Cooperate in New Fields

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung of Vietnam and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada held phone talks, with PM Le reaffirming Vietnam's consistent regard for Canada as an important partner in its foreign policy. He congratulated PM Carney on his government's achievements and the confidence placed in him by the Canadian people. Both leaders welcomed the steady and comprehensive progress in bilateral relations, noting that the effective implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has made Vietnam and Canada important trade and investment partners. Two-way trade has doubled over the past five years, and cooperation in defense, security, development assistance, education, and people-to-people exchanges has also evolved. To further strengthen ties, PM Le proposed beefing up delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits, and enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, law enforcement, science and technology, and human resource development. He specifically called on Canada to expand market access for Vietnamese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and to encourage Canadian enterprises to invest in priority sectors like energy, the green economy, and the circular economy. The Vietnamese leader also suggested establishing bilateral law enforcement cooperation mechanisms and strengthening collaboration in training high-quality human resources in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and semiconductors, and maintaining close coordination at multilateral forums. PM Carney congratulated PM Le on his election and expressed confidence that Vietnam will continue to achieve new development milestones and further enhance its international standing. Describing Vietnam as one of Canada's key partners in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region, he highlighted strong political trust, growing trade and investment ties, and vibrant people-to-people exchanges. He agreed with PM Le on the positive momentum and 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 Vietnam'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). PM Carney thanked Vietnam for its support during negotiations on the Canada–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and praised Vietnam's role as Chair of the CPTPP, expressing 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 Vietnam as host of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2027 and pledged continued close coordination at regional and international forums.