Agreements signed during Canadian mission’s visit

A delegation of government, business and university officials from Atlantic Canada has ended its four-day visit to Vietnam with the signing of several significant agreements with Vietnamese partners, the Embassy of Canada said on December 3.

The cooperative documents include a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and Vietnam’s southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau to increase collaboration between the two provincial governments and to further promote trade and investment opportunities between the private and public sectors, along with another MoU between the Ports of Halifax and Hai Phong to enhance cooperation and to generate new business opportunities.

Canadian Atlantic and Vietnamese universities signed a total of nine separate MoUs to explore institutional links and to encourage more Vietnamese graduate and undergraduate students to select Atlantic Canada as a study destination.

The mission, which took place from November 29 to December 3, was organised by the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

On behalf of the Canadian Government, Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, said the volume of bilateral trade between Canada and Vietnam has increased steadily over the past decade, and now stands more than five times greater than in 1997.

Minister MacKay praised the collaborative efforts of the Canadian delegates and their Vietnamese hosts, saying that the mission is an important step forward in deepening the ties between the two countries for mutual economic and social benefit.

“The mission not only shows Canada’s commitment to increasing trade and investment with Vietnam but it also highlights our countries’ interest in working together to foster lucrative and lasting partnerships that will create new opportunities in the years to come,” he said.

Tags: Vietnam Canada cooperation