On January 6, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Randeep Sarai, Canada’s Minister of International Development, who is currently visiting Vietnam.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction with the positive development of the Vietnam–Canada Comprehensive Partnership across all sectors, underpinned by strong political trust.

They noted that leaders from both countries have met frequently at multilateral forums, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Mark Carney having met twice in 2025-at the 47th ASEAN Summit and the G20 Summit in South Africa.

As of September 2025, bilateral trade had reached USD 6.35 billion, making Vietnam one of Canada’s top trading partners in both ASEAN and the CPTPP framework.

Prime Minister Chinh thanked the Canadian government for its long-standing support, having provided nearly USD 2 billion in official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam since 1990.

He noted that Vietnam's GDP growth in 2025 exceeded 8%, forming a solid foundation for future double-digit growth in the years ahead. Vietnam, he stressed, is committed to rapid, green, and sustainable development through science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

The Prime Minister expressed Vietnam’s desire to further deepen its Comprehensive Partnership with Canada, making it increasingly substantive and effective for both sides.

To that end, he proposed boosting political and diplomatic relations, increasing exchanges at all levels, exploring an upgrade of bilateral ties, and establishing firm legal foundations to facilitate visa processes and promote exchanges between citizens and businesses.

He called on Minister Sarai to promote stronger cooperation in economics, trade, and investment, with maximum utilization of CPTPP benefits. He urged Canada to open its market further and strengthen supply chain links-especially in areas where Vietnam has a competitive edge such as electronics and agriculture.

Prime Minister Chinh also proposed expanding collaboration in high-quality human resource training and technology transfer. He encouraged Canada to offer more scholarships to Vietnamese students in strategic sectors such as high technology, digital transformation, peaceful nuclear energy, clean energy, AI, semiconductors, climate change mitigation, and high-tech agriculture.

He further recommended fostering cultural and people-to-people exchanges, including hosting Vietnamese Culture Days in Canada and Canadian Culture Days in Vietnam. He suggested exploring the launch of direct or connecting flights between the two countries.

Importantly, the Prime Minister proposed that Canada consider granting ethnic minority status to the Vietnamese community in Canada, which now numbers around 300,000. He emphasized this legal recognition would help the community make stronger contributions to Canadian society and bilateral relations.

In response, Minister Randeep Sarai conveyed the Canadian Prime Minister’s appreciation for the significant progress in bilateral relations, noting that trade volumes have multiplied since both countries joined CPTPP.

He agreed with Prime Minister Chinh’s proposals to deepen cooperation and confirmed that his visit aligns with Canada’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy, in which ASEAN-and Vietnam in particular-are top priorities.

Minister Sarai pledged increased collaboration in climate change mitigation and support for Vietnam in meeting its COP26 commitments. He also stated Canada’s intention to diversify and expand its trade relationship with Vietnam, aiming to double trade volume within the next 5 to 10 years.

He confirmed that Canada would continue to support the Vietnamese community and international students living in Canada and welcomed their active contributions to Canadian society.

Canada will also continue providing ODA to Vietnam and plans to release a publication titled “Sustainable Legacy – 30 Years of Development Cooperation between Canada and Vietnam.”

Tran Thuong