Top leader holds talks with Canadian Prime Minister

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on September 24 (local time) as part of his State visit to Canada.

PM Carney warmly welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on their State visit to Canada, stressing that the visit was of historic significance and would create new momentum for bilateral relations to enter a period of deeper and more substantive development.

He spoke highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic development achievements, its increasingly prominent international standing, and its positive contributions to the international community, affirming that Vietnam is an important partner of Canada in promoting relations with ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region.

General Secretary and President To Lam thanked the Canadian Government and people for their respectful and warm welcome, conveyed Prime Minister Le Minh Hung’s greetings and best wishes to PM Carney, and expressed his hope to welcome the Canadian Government leader to Vietnam soon.

He congratulated Canada on its important achievements in economic development and the diversification of markets and partners, which have contributed to enhancing Canada’s position in the international arena. Sharing Vietnam’s strategic objectives in its new era of development, he emphasised that Vietnam regards Canada as a friend and a trusted partner with which it shares many common interests and strategic perspectives.

The two leaders agreed that Vietnam Canada relations have made important achievements over more than 50 years of building and consolidating friendship and nearly a decade of implementing the Comprehensive Partnership framework.

Political trust and mutual understanding have been continuously strengthened; economic, trade, and investment ties have become an important foundation of bilateral relations; while cooperation in defence and security, education and training, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people exchanges has continued to expand.

On that basis, the two leaders agreed that Vietnam Canada relations have met all the conditions to enter a new stage of development, characterised by a higher level of political trust, broader and more substantive cooperation, and more closely intertwined interests, with the elevation of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership. They agreed to soon develop a concrete agenda and action plan for the effective implementation of the new framework of relations.

The two sides agreed to increase high-level delegation exchanges and contacts, promote parliamentary cooperation, make effective use of bilateral mechanisms, including regular consultations and dialogues between the two foreign ministries, and coordinate and support each other at regional and multilateral forums.

PM Carney expressed his desire to make economic, trade, investment, financial, and economic integration cooperation an important driving force of the Strategic Partnership; facilitate market access for goods, step up trade and investment promotion and supply-chain linkages; encourage Canadian businesses and investment funds to increase investment in Vietnam; welcome new areas of cooperation such as infrastructure and transport; and support the establishment of direct air routes between the two countries.

The Canadian PM proposed that the two sides further promote the role of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in advancing free trade and work toward an early conclusion of negotiations on the ASEAN Canada Free Trade Agreement, thereby expanding the space for cooperation and diversifying markets and supply chains.

General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that the two countries should focus on new priorities in bilateral relations, including making science and technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies new drivers of cooperation. He suggested strengthening cooperation in research, development, and application of new technologies; sharing experience in digital transformation and the development of digital government, the digital economy, and digital society; and placing greater emphasis on developing high-quality human resources.

The two sides agreed to promote linkages among universities, research institutes, and businesses; strengthen joint research and the transfer of knowledge and technology; and develop innovation ecosystems.

The two sides agreed to expand energy cooperation, including in clean energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewable energy, and boost potential cooperation in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in health care, the environment, agriculture, food security, education and training, culture, and people-to-people exchanges; and leverage complementary strengths in agriculture, food production, and food trade to contribute to building sustainable supply chains.

General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that Canada continue to pay attention to and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Canada to stabilise their lives, integrate and develop, make positive contributions to Canadian society, and serve as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

Regarding defence and security cooperation, the two sides agreed to promote stronger defence, security, and law-enforcement cooperation on the basis of the needs and aspirations of each side; expand cooperation in non-traditional security, maritime security, cybersecurity, humanitarian assistance, United Nations peacekeeping, and the prevention and combatting of transnational crime; and agreed to support efforts toward establishing a bilateral Dialogue on Security and Law Enforcement.

PM Carney affirmed Canada’s support for Vietnam’s organisation of the third Vietnam International Defence Expo and said Canada would send representatives to attend. He welcomed Vietnam’s plan to soon establish a Defence Attaché Office in Canada.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two sides shared a common vision of strengthening dialogue and cooperation, upholding multilateralism, the United Nations Charter, and international law. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; and agreed that disputes should be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

PM Carney affirmed Canada’s support for ASEAN centrality and the strengthening of ASEAN Canada cooperation.

The two leaders agreed to enhance coordination at the United Nations, the Francophonie, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the CPTPP, and ASEAN-led mechanisms. General Secretary and President To Lam appreciated Canada’s support for Vietnam in undertaking international responsibilities. PM Mark Carney also thanked Vietnam for backing efforts to strengthen ASEAN Canada relations and accelerate negotiations on the ASEAN Canada Free Trade Agreement.

The top Vietnamese leader invited the Canadian PM to pay an official visit to Vietnam in 2026 and attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in 2027. PM Carney gladly accepted the invitation and affirmed that Canada supports and stands ready to coordinate with Vietnam to contribute to the success of APEC 2027.

On the occasion, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents between agencies of the two countries and announced a Joint Statement on the official elevation of Vietnam Canada relations to a Strategic Partnership.

They expressed their belief that the new framework of relations would open a new chapter in bilateral ties, enabling Vietnam Canada cooperation to develop more extensively, substantively, and effectively, while making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and the world./.