Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meets Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received visiting Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in Hà Nội on Wednesday, asking his guest to help enhance the two countries’ cooperation in different aspects.

Highly valuing Joly’s selection of Việt Nam as one of the first two Asian countries to pay an official visit to as Foreign Minister of Canada, the host noted with satisfaction that the two countries’ relations have been growing effectively and substantively as seen in bilateral trade topping US$6 billion in 2021, up 18.5 per cent from 2020, and in the partnership in the COVID-19 combat and climate change response.

He took this occasion to thank the Canadian Government for giving $1.3 billion in official development assistance to Việt Nam since 1990.

PM Chính asked the minister to help tighten the two countries’ connections, particularly in economy - trade - investment, security - defence, development support, COVID-19 and climate change response, protection of the marine environment, clean and renewable energy, digital economy, innovation, green growth, green and sustainable agriculture, and training of high-quality human resources.

He called on Canada to continue creating conditions for more Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural and aquatic products, to enter its market.

The Government leader also thanked and asked Canada to keep working closely to help about 240,000 Vietnamese people in the country to make more contributions to Canada’s development as well as bilateral ties.

For her part, Joly said her visit is to implement her country’s new Indo-Pacific strategy, in which Canada wishes to further intensify relations with some countries in the region, with Việt Nam being a leading priority.

She also applauded Việt Nam’s commitment made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), affirming that Canada will enhance ties with the Southeast Asian nation in responding to climate change and realising the commitments at COP26.

Canada hopes to diversify and expand trade links with Việt Nam and boost cooperation within the framework of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), she went on, asking Việt Nam to assist her country to step up the strategic partnership with ASEAN.

The minister also highlighted Canada’s willingness to cooperate with Việt Nam in ensuring food security and pledged continued assistance for the Vietnamese community in her country.

Discussing the East Sea issue, the two sides underscored the importance of peacefully resolving disputes on the basis of international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea; working towards a substantive, effective, and efficient code of conduct in the waters; and ensuring freedom, safety, and security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea with all countries’ interests taken into consideration.

Regarding the Ukraine issue that the Canadian Foreign Minister mentioned, PM Chính affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent stance of peacefully settling international disputes on the basis of international law and the UN Charter, especially respecting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of countries.

Việt Nam always keeps a close watch on and is extremely concerned about the armed conflict in Ukraine. It calls for an end to the use of force and avoidance of causing casualties or losses to civilians, he stressed.

Việt Nam hopes that the relevant sides will soon find peaceful solutions to disagreements on the basis of international law; the right and legal and legitimate interests of the parties concerned taken into account; security, safety, and essential needs of civilians guaranteed; and humanitarian aid promoted, according to the PM. — VNS