Vietnam attaches importance to ASEAN-Canada ties
VOV.VN - Vietnam always sticks importance to developing ASEAN-Canada ties, said Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung at the 14th ASEAN-Canada Dialogue of senior officials meeting (SOM) on May 7-8 in Ottawa, Canada.
The just-concluded meeting in Ottawa, Canada, was intended to review the implementation of the 2016-2020 cooperative action plan and design future cooperative activities.
Head of the Vietnam delegation Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said that Vietnam always attaches importance to developing ASEAN-Canada ties. He suggested both sides strengthen cooperation in politics and security via existing cooperative mechanisms, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN-Canada consultations.
Dung asked Canada to provide more scholarships for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, expand tourism cooperation, and hold more people-to-people exchanges.
He called on Canada to encourage its businesses to invest in infrastructure projects, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and start-up activities in ASEAN countries.
He shared his concern about the complicated developments in the East Sea and underscored Vietnam’s consistent stance while applauding Canada’s stance in its recent statements related to the East Sea issue.
The dialogue examined the cooperation between the two sides in the framework of the Action Plan in 2016-2020, and discussed preparations for activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the Canada-ASEAN partnership.