Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meets with Canada's Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Tuesday proposed Việt Nam and Canada promote new growth drivers, including cooperation in science and technology and innovation, climate change response, energy transition, infrastructure and logistics development, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Welcoming Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai on a working visit to Việt Nam, PM Chính stated that the Việt Nam–Canada Comprehensive Partnership has been developing positively across all fields, underpinned by a solid political foundation and shared interests and values.

In recent years, leaders of the two countries have maintained frequent meetings and exchanges at multilateral forums, notably the two meetings in 2025 of the two PMs on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia and the G20 Summit in South Africa.

Bilateral trade turnover had reached US$6.35 billion as of September 2025, with Việt Nam ranking among Canada’s leading trade partners within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Cooperation in defence and security, education, people-to-people exchanges, and connectivity between localities has also been actively promoted.

The Vietnamese Government highly values Canada’s official development assistance (ODA) projects implemented in Việt Nam in recent years, which, PM Chính affirmed, have delivered tangible and practical results, making an important contribution to the implementation of Việt Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan for the 2021-2025 period and its National Development Strategy for 2021-2030.

Stressing Việt Nam’s wish to further strengthen and deepen its Comprehensive Partnership with Canada, the PM called on both sides to step up the exchange of delegations at all levels, work toward elevating the bilateral ties to a new level as soon as possible, and continue to promote and expand economic, trade and investment cooperation, with a view to making it the main pillar of the bilateral relations.

In addition, PM Chính urged Canada to support Việt Nam in human resources training by increasing scholarships for Vietnamese students, especially in advanced technology fields where Canada has strengths and Việt Nam has demand. He also suggested Canada continue to give due consideration to recognising the Vietnamese community in Canada as a minority group and adopt more open visa policies for Vietnamese citizens.

Calling for continued mutual support and closer coordination at multilateral forums, the Government leader said Việt Nam stands ready to serve as a bridge for Canada to strengthen its presence in the region and promote collaboration with ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms.

He also expressed his hope that Canada will act as a bridge to facilitate Việt Nam’s participation in cooperation initiatives in which Canada plays an active role; and continue supporting ASEAN’s stance on promoting trade liberalisation and resolving disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, both in the region and the world.

Agreeing with PM Chính's assessment of bilateral relations, Sarai said that Canada is implementing its Indo-Pacific Strategy for the mutual benefit of the two sides, under which it attaches importance to ASEAN’s central role and multilateral mechanisms in the region in which both sides participate.

Congratulating Việt Nam on the 80th anniversary of the first General Election to elect the National Assembly and expressing sympathy over the losses caused by natural disasters in the country, the official affirmed that Canada is willing to support and cooperate with Việt Nam in climate change response, infrastructure development, energy transition, the exploration and processing of critical minerals, and investment in products manufactured in Việt Nam for export to other markets.

Noting that the Vietnamese community in Canada is large and present across the country, he expressed strong agreement and confidence that the two sides will further promote cooperation in the coming period through concrete programmes and projects, as proposed by the PM. — VNA/VNS