Canadian Ambassador talks about 40 years of diplomatic ties

Ambassador Deborah Chatsis: Over the past four decades, Canada and Viet Nam have worked together to create a strong foundation on which we plan to further develop the potential of our relationship. We have had an increasing number of high level visits of Canadian Government officials to Viet Nam. In November of 2011, I had the pleasure of welcoming the Governor General of Canada to Viet Nam on his first state visit. More recently in March 2013, I welcomed our Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird to Viet Nam. These visits are one indication of Canada’s interest to strengthen relations with Viet Nam in a range of areas.  

We are extremely pleased that bilateral trade has now passed the $2 billion mark for the first time. An increasing number of Canadian companies are finding a home in Viet Nam, especially in high-potential sectors including agriculture and agri-food, education and training, oil & gas as well as information and communication technologies, to name a few.

Education remains a priority focus for us in Viet Nam.  Approximately 1,000 Vietnamese students received Canadian study permits last year, a four-fold increase since 2007 and the largest number issued to any ASEAN country. Canada is committed to strengthening ties between Canadian and global educational institutions and we look forward to continuing the facilitation of meaningful partnerships between Canadian and Vietnamese education institutions.

Canada is pleased to be one of Viet Nam’s development partners. This year alone, the Embassy is currently managing nine operational projects, preparing four planned projects and completing three projects. Canada's current development program in Viet Nam focuses on sustainable economic growth and food security. Our program responds to the Government of Viet Nam 's poverty reduction priorities and focuses on improving the enabling environment for investment and to support rural enterprise development and agricultural competitiveness.

How about the future prospects of the bilateral ties?  

Ambassador Deborah Chatsis: Over the past 40 years, Canada and Viet Nam have enjoyed rapidly expanding relations on many fronts such as trade, education, and development to name a few.  Canada looks forward to continuing our work with Viet Nam and deepening the strong bilateral and multilateral links between our countries.

On the bilateral front, Canada and Viet Nam are currently working to expand foreign investment opportunities for both countries and helping potential Canadian investors navigate the challenges of the Vietnamese market.

Looking ahead, the Embassy will continue to promote trade and investment between Canada and Viet Nam. We will continue to work with the Canada Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce, partner ministries like the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, among others. We will also work to organize and support trade missions in both directions, and raise the profile of both Canada and Viet Nam with the business and investment communities in both countries. We will explore future linkages between Canadian investors and Vietnamese governments and businesses as part of Viet Nam’s planned Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. The Trans Pacific Partnership will provide us with a foundation to further boost bilateral trade.

We also look forward to working together with our local development partners to provide support to Viet Nam. As mentioned, the Embassy is involved in a variety of projects through DFATD including BRASS and VSEP. In total, we are involved in close to 30 projects aimed to enhance development efforts by working with civil society and government departments in Viet Nam. We look forward to continuing this important work.

So far, Viet Nam is one of 20 ODA prioritized recipients of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), how does this policy change in the future?

Ambassador Deborah Chatsis: In July 2013, the Canadian International Development Agency was amalgamated with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to create the new Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.  This new department will aim to enhance the alignment of foreign, development, trade and commercial policies and programs. These efforts will allow the Canada to have greater policy coherence on priority issues and will result in greater overall impact of Canada’s development efforts.

Canada has provided development assistance to Viet Nam since 1990.  Vietnam became a country of focus for Canada’s development assistance program in 2009. Canada’s bilateral development assistance aims to create an enabling environment for investment and to support rural enterprise development and agricultural competitiveness. Two recent projects that exemplify these goals are the Banking Regulation and Supervision Support Project (BRASS) and Viet Nam Skills for Employment Project (VSEP).

We were pleased to launch BRASS this past December with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Embassy and the Government of Viet Nam. This is a five year project worth $14 M aimed at promoting a stable and credible financial system for businesses and households in Vietnam through a strengthened banking regulatory and supervisory framework in Viet Nam in accordance with international standards. VSEP, a six-year project with a budget of $20M, will support Vietnamese efforts to improve their technical and vocational education and training system, based on pilots in selected provinces.  

Through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development - Partnerships with Canadians programs, Canada supports Canadian organizations that work with Vietnamese counterparts. Canadian organizations respond to the development needs of vulnerable groups, such as women and ethnic minorities, in Viet Nam. By partnering with Vietnamese organizations, Canadian organizations work in a wide range of areas, including agricultural productivity, technical and vocational training, municipal governance, and higher education. Through our Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), we are supporting different partners working on projects in Vietnamese communities.

And what about the status of Viet Nam in the bilateral ties and the relations between Canada and ASEAN?

Ambassador Deborah Chatsis: This year marks 36 years of partnership between Canada and ASEAN. This past July, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird attended the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Canada Post Ministerial Conference and ASEAN Regional Forum. Minister Baird announced details of Canada's funding commitments for ASEAN-Canada initiatives, which includes funding for additional projects in Southeast Asia that will contribute to fostering peace, security, and prosperity in the region. The $10 million funding commitment is dedicated to ASEAN related-projects over three years, including in the area of connectivity. Canada looks forward to increasing our engagement with ASEAN to its fullest potential.

What activities will the two sides organize to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties?

Ambassador Deborah Chatsis: Our Embassy in Ha Noi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City have been organizing a series of activities to celebrate this important milestone. Our celebrations began late last year with a logo competition. I was impressed with the quality of the competing entries. I was pleased to present a BlackBerry Playbook, a gift from the Canadian company BlackBerry, to Pham Cong Tuan, a young student from Construction College number 2. The design has been used throughout the year and represents a bright way forward for Canada- Viet Nam relations.

In May, we proudly presented one of Canada’s most renowned pianists Alain Lefèvre at the Opera Houses in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, were I had the pleasure of welcoming our guest of honour Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh along with other government and private-sector officials. During his visit to Viet Nam, he met with piano students at the Viet Nam Academy of Music and inspired them with his passion and talent and encouraged them in their pursuit of a professional career in classical music.

On June 15, we held a very special Maple Leaf Gala Dinner featuring some of Canada’s best from the world of food and culture. Guests enjoyed Canadian food specialties including oysters, maple syrup, beef, seafood and wine. At the same time a performance by a Canadian director and a group of performers from Viet Nam’s Circus Federation was a concrete demonstration of the dynamic people to people relations between our two countries. A highlight of the performance was the use of the Cyr wheel, popularized by Canadian Cirque du Soleil artist Daniel Cyr.

In August, we are pleased to launch the photo exhibition “Accessible Arctic”, which will highlight the Arctic and Aboriginal people of Canada. This year, Canada assumed the two-year Chairmanship of Arctic Council and now looks forward to taking on issues of importance to the people of the North. Through this exhibition, Vietnamese people can learn about Canada’s role in the Arctic while experiencing the region’s remarkable beauty.

We have more exciting events coming up in the next few months. This fall, we will organize the annual Canadian Education Week with the participation of 70 schools from Canada sharing information on studying in Canada with students and parents in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. The Run for Children will once again raise funds for health care for disadvantaged children. This run will take place on November 17 in Ha Noi, while the Terry Fox Run raising funds for cancer research will be organised for November 24 in Ho Chi Minh City. These activities will bring our peoples together fostering a dynamic, multifaceted relationship between our two countries.

Thank you verry much./.