The keynote speaker, Nguyen Thi Hoi, former Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada and Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association, highlighted important progresses in the nations’ comprehensive partnership over the past five years, particularly in defence, trade, and education.
According to her, Canada opened its Defense Attaché Office in Hanoi, while the Vietnam-Canada trade exceeded 6 billion USD in 2021.
Vietnam currently ranks first in Southeast Asia and fifth globally in terms of the number of international students in Canada. Canada also identifies Vietnam as a priority market for educational cooperation.
Participants discussed solutions to promote the bilateral relationship and related priorities that need further attention from the sides.
Luis Silva, an expert on government relations, emphasised that over the past half century, Vietnam has grown strongly. When Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1973, the nation was still in wartime. Now it has entered a period of peace and prosperity.
He said it is absolutely possible to expect that by 2045, Vietnam will be a high-income country. He also expressed his belief that the Vietnam-Canada ties will constantly grow in the coming time.
