HÀ NỘI — Governor General of Canada Julie Payette stated that Việt Nam is an important partner of Canada in the region and that Canada supports and wants to reinforce friendship and long-term cooperation with Việt Nam. 

She made the statement at her meeting with Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, on June 8 (Canada time). 
PM Phúc is in Canada for the Group of Seven (G7) Outreach Summit and visit to Canada from June 8 – 10 at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 
At the meeting, PM Phúc expressed his appreciation toward the Canadian invitation and hospitality toward his delegation. 
He stated Việt Nam welcomes the summit’s theme on climate change and oceans and will make efforts in contribution to the success of the event. 
Highlighting the traditional ties between Việt Nam and Canada, he affirmed that Việt Nam treasures and wants to enhance its comprehensive partnership with Canada for mutual benefit, as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in their regions and in the world. 
Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation, Julie Payette praised the meaning of the Vietnamese PM’s visit to her country, particularly on the context of the two countries celebrating the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. 
Reiterating Việt Nam’s consistent policy of active engagement in the Francophone community, PM Phúc asked Canada to help foster the Francophone movement in Việt Nam via its granting of scholarships for Vietnamese students and assisting French teaching in the country. 
He suggested Canada back Việt Nam’s participation in projects on climate change response, economics and education within the framework of the International Francophone Organisation. 
PM Phúc underlined that along with accelerating economic-trade partnership, culture-tourism collaboration and people-to-people exchange also played an important role in fostering bilateral ties. He proposed that Canada creates optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community in Canada. 
The Canadian Governor General spoke highly of Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements as well as the country’s active engagement in the Francophone community. 
She affirmed that Canada will continue creating favourable conditions for the expansion of cooperation and academic exchange through the formation of partnership relations and student exchange programmes among educational establishments of the two countries. 
She also pledged to support Việt Nam’s efforts in responding to climate change. 
Payette spoke highly of the role and contributions of the Vietnamese community in Canada, especially Vietnamese students. 
The two sides agreed that comprehensive partnership between the two countries is a framework for them in further fostering cooperation, concurring that in the coming time, Việt Nam and Canada should continue rolling out specific measures to make bilateral ties deeper, more practical and effective. 
The two countries should also coordinate closely at international and regional forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), and Francophone, they said. 
The two leaders also shared their viewpoints on various regional and international issues of shared concern, including the East Sea matters. They supported the ensuring of maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom, and the settlement of disputes on the basis of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982), as well as diplomatic and legal processes without using or threatening to use force. They also backed the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early finalisation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. 
On the occasion, PM Phúc invited Governor General Payette to visit Việt Nam, and received her acceptance. — VNS