Vietnam Prime Minister Meets Canadian Govt Officials

Vietnam Prime Minister Meets Canadian Govt Officials

Prime Minister of Vietnam Phan Van Khai talked with his Canadian counterpart Paul Martin in Ottawa yesterday as part of a six-day working trip to the foreign country.      

At the Parliament House, they witnessed the signing of co-operative agreements between the two countries. Details of their discussions, however, were not reported at local newspapers.

Earlier, Prime Minister Khai met with Speaker of the Senate of Canada Dan Hays and Speaker of the House of Commons Peter Milliken.

Khai told the host officials that Vietnam always attaches great importance to the role and position of Canada a strong developed industrial country and a member of G7 and wants to share valuable experiences in economics, science and technology with Canada.

Vietnam also expects Canada will support it to successfully organize the 2006 APEC summit and to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 term, Khai said.

On the same day, his inferior, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan met with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Trade and Minister of International Co-operation.

Minister of Justice Uong Chu Luu also had a meeting with his partner Irwin Cotler and Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Huy Hieu had a working session with Canadian leaders from the Ministry of Defense. Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Committee for External Relations Ton Nu Thi Ninh met with leaders from the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The prime minister called at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa and attended the inauguration of Vietnam House. He met with staff from the Vietnamese embassy and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Canada.

Khai and his entourage left Ottawa for Quebec today to participate in various activities, including the Vietnam-Canada business forum to promote economic co-operation.

It is the first time that Khai has visited the foreign country as a prime minister since the two countries set up their diplomatic relation on August 21, 1973. He visited Canada in 1994 when he was deputy prime minister.

The two countries have witnessed closer ties in a number of fields over the past years.

They increased their bilateral trade value to US$429.7 million last year from US$121 million in 1998. The figure is expected to rise to US$1 billion in the coming time. Canadian investors have injected US$232 million in 47 projects in Vietnam. 

Canada also funded US$26 million of ODA to Vietnam annually between 2003 and 2004, a rise from the annual figure of US$10 million in the 2000-2001 period and US$7.5 million from 1996-1999. The capital was mainly invested in administration reform, IT, environment, education and hunger reduction.

Vietnam welcomed 53,000 arrivals from Canada last year, up from 40,000 in 2003 and 31,000 in 1999.

More than 1,500 Vietnamese people are studying in the foreign country.

B.T