Vietnam - Canada: Unique Opportunity to Realise Even More of the Potential of Bilateral Relationship

Canada and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1973 and since then the two nations have been expanding cooperative relations in education, culture, tourism, trade and investment. In 2013, Vietnam and Canada are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations. “The 40^th anniversary presents a unique opportunity to realize even more of the potential of our relationship,” said H.E. Ms Deborah Chatsis, Ambassador of Canada to Vietnam, in an interview with the Vietnam Business Forum. Nguyen Mai reports.

 

Canada-Vietnam relations have reached new heights in the past couple of years. I was particularly pleased to welcome the Governor General of Canada to Vietnam on his first state visit in November 2011.

 

While we may have started off slowly on the trade front, bilateral trade between Canada and Vietnam has grown consistently in recent years. Our most visible recent milestone: in 2012 we passed the US$2 billion mark for bilateral trade for the first time, our best trade volume ever. We have also been able to secure the opening of Vietnam’s market for several Canadian specialty products in Vietnam, including for Canadian live cattle and small ruminants (for genetics and herd development) and exports of certain types of Canadian live seafood. In 2012, we also organized the first two Canadian Food Festivals at different restaurants in Hanoi in July and in Ho Chi Minh City in December. We hope that the Vietnamese people will become more familiar with some of the best and tastiest Canadian ingredients including beef, sea food, wine and Ambrosia apples.

 

We are very proud of the quality of Canadian education and happy to see more and more Vietnamese students choosing Canada as their education destination of choice. In 2011, close to 1,000 Vietnamese students went to Canada for further study. The Annual Canadian Education Weeks organized in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi, with the participation of around 70 Canadian institutions, are a key way we try to help Vietnamese students and their parents make this important decision . We have also worked to encourage joint programs between Vietnamese institutions and their Canadian partners. One example is the first Oral Health Centre opened in early December; this is a joint project between the University of British Columbia and National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Since 2009, Vietnam has been one of the countries of focus of Canada’s development assistance program. Canada will continue to work to support vocational and skills training, and through the development assistance program, will share our technical expertise in areas as diverse as food quality, improving court procedures and banking regulations, among others.

 

We are looking forward to this celebration with anticipation. Just recently we selected a logo design for our 40^th anniversary. I was impressed by the creativity of the many young Vietnamese who participated in our logo competition. As we begin 2013, we will be launching an ambitious plan which will include piano concerts by one of the best Canadian pianists; film festivals by Canada’s top directors; and food festivals to featuring Canada’s gastronomy. We anticipate some academic activities including a special magazine on Canada and Canada- Vietnam relations and a conference on Canadian studies. We also expect some high level visits.

 

Canada and Vietnam have a good foundation and the 40^th anniversary presents a unique opportunity to realize even more of the potential of our relationship.

 

Canada is continuing this development work with Vietnam on both bilateral and multilateral fronts. We have already engaged in nine rounds of negotiations for a Canada-Vietnam Foreign Investment Protection Agreement (FIPA), with more to come. The signing of such an agreement would raise the level of interest in Vietnam among Canadian investors. On the multilateral side, both Canada and Vietnam are now taking part in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, along with nine other countries. The conclusion of this modern free trade agreement would make TPP members part of one of the world’s most important trading blocks.

 

In the coming year, the Embassy will continue to develop trade and investment between Canada and Vietnam through several means. We will continue to work hand in hand with the Canada Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, partnering with ministries like Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Planning and Investment and many others. Building on the 2012 visit to Vietnam by our Minister of International Trade Ed Fast, we will also work to organize and support trade missions in both directions, to raise the profile of each country with the business community of the other, including on the investment front, where will explore the linkages we can establish between Canadian investors and Vietnam’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

 

Canada is an open society which values freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Canada is a multicultural society in which cultural differences are respected and celebrated. You will find in my country people from all corners of the world, speaking different languages, enjoying different cuisine, yet living in harmony in a vast country spreading across six time zones. Canada makes people feel at home regardless of their roots. And Canadians often feel comfortable when are travelling abroad, because to some extent they are exposed to foreign countries and cultures even when they are home.

 

I really am enjoying my time in Vietnam. What impresses me most is the dynamic and vibrant atmosphere where ever you go in this country. The friendliness and warmth of the people and the excellent cuisine are aspects of Vietnam that I will never forget.