50th anniversary of Vietnam-Canada diplomatic ties marked in HC City
A programme to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Canada diplomatic ties (1973-2023) was held by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on August 20.
At the programme to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Canada diplomatic ties in HCM City on August 20 (Photo: VNA)
HCMC City (VNA) - A programme to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Canada diplomatic ties (1973-2023) was held by the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) and the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on August 20.
This is part of activities intended to further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two countries’ people.
Addressing the event, Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Phan Van Mai emphasized that since Vietnam and Canada officially set up diplomatic relations half a century ago, the bilateral relations have made great strides, especially since they upgraded their relations to a Comprehensive Partnership in 2017.
According to Mai, Vietnam is now Canada's largest trading partner in ASEAN, with the goal of raising two-way trade to 10 billion USD expected to soon be achieved.
Besides economic-trade cooperation, the two sides also witnessed growing relations in culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Mai thanked the Canadian Consulate General for awarding the Inukshuk statue to HCM City, saying that this is a practical cultural exchange activity to help people of the two countries understand more about the cultures of each other, thus expanding solidarity, friendship and cooperation.
The cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy will be the basis for the two countries to move towards an even better relationship in the next half century, he noted.
The organisers took the occasion to present 50 scholarships and gifts worth 2 million VND each to poor students with outstanding performance in their study; and 50 gift packages worth 1 million VND each to 50 typical Vietnamese and Canadian students in various fields.
The Vietnam - Canada Friendship Association also coordinated with sponsors to give gifts worth 1.5 million VND each to 1,400 students with extremely difficult circumstances in HCM City, and Long An and An Giang provinces.
The Inukshuk Statue presented by the Canadian Consulate General in HCM City is placed in the Sai Gon Zoo and Botanical Garden./.
A conference was held at Tra Vinh University in the Mekong Delta province entitled the Vietnam-Canada International Education and Partnership Conference to discuss collaboration between college and university educational institutions in the two countries.
Vietnam wants Canada to continue sharing experience with and support Vietnam in green and sustainable development, and cutting emissions to net-zero, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha told Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Perry Steil at a meeting on May 23.
Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, received Canadian Ambassador for Climate Change Catherine Stewart in New York on June 14.
A delegation of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Consul General of Vietnam in Vancouver Nguyen Quang Trung on June 27 organised the Vietnam - Canada Business Forum which attracted more than 100 participants.
The Vietnam – Canada Bilateral Defence Consultation 2023 took place on July 27, co-chaired by the Director of the Foreign Relations Department under Ministry of National Defence Major General Vu Thanh Van and Assistant Deputy Minister of Canada’s Department of National Defence Peter Hammerschmidt.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
At the programme to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Canada diplomatic ties in HCM City on August 20 (Photo: VNA) 
