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Prime Minister of Vietnam to visit Canada
June 24, 2005
NEWS RELEASE
Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced that the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Phan Van Khai, will visit Canada from June 25 to 30, 2005.
“This visit by Prime Minister Khai is historic as it is the first time that a Vietnamese head of government has visited Canada since the establishment of our diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago,” said Prime Minister Martin. “We will use this opportunity to strengthen our political and economic relationship and to reiterate our commitment to assisting Vietnam’s continued development.”
The Prime Minister will hold discussions with Prime Minister Khai in Ottawa on June 27. The talks will focus on topics of mutual interest, such as economic cooperation and trade, civil society linkages, and governance.
Prime Minister Khai is also scheduled to travel to Quebec City and Toronto, where he will meet with representatives from the federal and provincial governments, business leaders, and members of the Vietnamese-Canadian community.
Vietnam is an important partner in multilateral forums, including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Canada and Vietnam also share a fast-growing commercial relationship, with two-way trade increasing by 33 percent from $422.1 million in 2003 to $559.7 million in 2004. In addition, Vietnam is one of Canada’s largest aid recipients in Southeast Asia and one of 25 development partners identified in Canada’s International Policy Statement, announced in April 2005.
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