Vietnam's Top Leader to Make Historic First Visit to Canada, Deepening Comprehensive Partnership

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Government News Thuy Dung Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam Jim Nickel - Photo: VGP/Hoang Thuyen Viet Nam's General Secretary and President is set to attend the High-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), undertake bilateral meetings in the U.S., and pay a State visit to Canada at the invitation of Governor General of Canada Louise Arbour from September 20-25. In a recent interview with the press ahead of the visit, the Ambassador viewed the occasion as an important milestone that could open a new chapter in the two countries' relations and further elevate their Comprehensive Partnership. This will be the first-ever visit to Canada by a General Secretary, making it particularly significant in the more than five decades since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. The bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2017 and has since developed across a broad spectrum, from diplomacy, trade and investment, defense and security to culture, education, science, technology and innovation. The upcoming visit is expected to provide fresh momentum for deepening cooperation across these areas and taking the partnership to a higher level, the Ambassador said. According to the Ambassador, Canada increasingly regards Viet Nam as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in Southeast Asia, where Viet Nam has emerged as an important economic and strategic actor. Viet Nam is Canada's largest trading partner within ASEAN and is viewed by Canada as a gateway to the wider ASEAN region and the Indo-Pacific, he noted. Viet Nam's emergence as a global manufacturing hub and an increasingly important node in international supply chains further enhances its strategic importance for Canada. Against the backdrop of an evolving global economic environment, stronger engagement with Viet Nam offers opportunities for Canada to diversify trade, strengthen supply-chain resilience and expand economic partnerships in a dynamic region. Nickel highlighted the strong momentum in bilateral economic ties, noting that two-way trade and investment have doubled over the past five years. Bilateral trade alone rose from C$15.7 billion in 2024 to C$20.6 billion in 2025. While Vietnamese exports currently account for the large majority of bilateral trade, Canada sees substantial room to expand two-way trade and investment, particularly in sectors where the two economies have strong complementarities. Agriculture and food security are among the areas with significant potential. Cooperation could be expanded in agricultural technology, innovation, food supply and food security, alongside growing trade and investment. Energy is another strategic area. As Viet Nam accelerates the development of advanced manufacturing, data centers, international financial centers and the semiconductor industry, reliable and secure energy supplies will become increasingly important. As a major energy producer with strengths in both conventional and renewable energy, as well as energy innovation, Canada sees considerable potential to contribute to Viet Nam's energy security and transition while creating new avenues for bilateral cooperation. Aerospace and aviation, meanwhile, offer further opportunities, given Viet Nam's rapidly expanding aviation sector and Canada's capabilities in aviation manufacturing and technology. The two countries can also deepen collaboration in emerging technologies, including communications, satellites and artificial intelligence, as both seek to strengthen innovation capacity and move toward higher-value economic activities. The Ambassador underlined that the changing international economic landscape is encouraging both Canada and Viet Nam to strengthen economic resilience and reduce vulnerabilities associated with excessive dependence on any single market. For both countries, diversifying economic partnerships and securing reliable supply chains have consequently become increasingly important. In this context, Canada and Viet Nam have a strong basis for cooperation, given their shared commitment to rules-based trade and their common interest in sustainable economic growth, resilience and mutual prosperity. Viet Nam's rapid economic growth and increasingly ambitious development objectives further reinforce its attractiveness as a long-term partner, particularly as Canada seeks to expand its engagement with the Indo-Pacific – the world's fastest-growing economic region. Canada also attaches importance to Viet Nam's role in regional economic cooperation, particularly as Viet Nam prepares to host APEC in 2027 on Phu Quoc Island. Nickel said, APEC 2027 will provide Viet Nam with an important opportunity to exercise leadership on issues of common concern, including strengthening supply chains, reinforcing commitment to rules-based trade, and addressing emerging priorities such as digital trade, digital transformation and energy transformation. Canada will fully support Viet Nam in its APEC chairmanship, he affirmed. The experience will also be closely followed by Canada, which will host APEC in 2029. Canada hopes to learn from Viet Nam's leadership and build on initiatives and priorities advanced during the Vietnamese APEC Year. From a bilateral partnership to broader regional engagement, the Ambassador's remarks underscore Canada's recognition of Viet Nam's growing role as an economic hub, a supply-chain partner and a constructive actor in the Indo-Pacific. The upcoming visit is therefore expected to carry significance beyond bilateral ties, providing an opportunity for the two countries to align their respective strengths and interests while contributing to a more resilient, open and dynamic regional economic landscape./. ONLINE NEWSPAPER OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Editor-in-chief: Nguyen Hong Sam License: No. 102/GP-BTTTT dated on April 15, 2024. Head office: No. 16, Le Hong Phong - Ba Dinh - Ha Noi Tel: 080 43162 – 080 48440; Fax: 080 48924 Email: [email protected]