Vietnam's Top Leader Embarks on Historic State Visit to Canada, Aiming to Deepen Ties

General Secretary and President of Vietnam, To Lam, has commenced a state visit to Canada at the invitation of Governor General Louise Arbour. This marks the first state visit to Canada by Vietnam's top Party and State leader, occurring over 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973, signifying a historic milestone in bilateral relations. The visit is expected to generate new momentum for the effective, substantive, and sustainable development of the "Comprehensive Partnership" between Vietnam and Canada. It will also serve as a guiding principle for fostering stronger people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. Canada, a G7 member, is implementing economic policies to enhance its independence and resilience, focusing on sectors such as AI, clean energy, biotechnology, the digital economy, and strategic supply chains. Meanwhile, Vietnam continues its robust growth as one of the most dynamic economies in the Asia-Pacific region, seeking capital, technology, high-quality human resources, and green finance, in line with the directive from the 14th National Party Congress to make "science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation the main drivers." Therefore, strengthening cooperation with partners of significant economic scale and high development levels, like Canada, is a key objective. Economic and trade relations remain a bright spot in bilateral ties. Two-way trade has doubled in the last five years. Frameworks like the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) and the complementarity of the two economies have made Vietnam Canada's largest trading partner within ASEAN. Vietnam is also a crucial partner for Canada in the Indo-Pacific region and is valued within the frameworks of APEC and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). Regarding energy and Net Zero emissions, both countries share common commitments. Canada can share its experience and technology in power grids and renewable energy to support Vietnam's successful energy transition. Pham Cao Phong, Standing Vice President of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association, highlighted that people-to-people relations have been a crucial foundation for bilateral ties over many years. The association has actively organized events such as celebrating national holidays, friendly exchanges, and cultural promotion activities, contributing to enhanced mutual understanding and goodwill. Special emphasis is placed on promoting youth engagement and leveraging the network of Vietnamese alumni from Canadian universities. This historic visit is anticipated to further deepen and substantiveize the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and globally. Source: Nhan Dan