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Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen at the event in Hanoi on January 8. (Photo: The Canadian Embassy in Vietnam)
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That was shared by Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen, in a press meeting on his visit to Vietnam and launching of the book “A Lasting Legacy: 30 Years of Development Cooperation between Canada and Vietnam”, organized by the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam on January 9, in Hanoi.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy is built with interconnected goals, including: Promoting peace, resilience and security; Expanding trade, investment and supply chain resilience; Strengthening connections between people throughout the region; and Building a green and sustainable future.
Minister Ahmed Hussen hopes that the promotion of Canada’s free trade agreement with Indo-Pacific countries will help more Vietnamese goods appear on store shelves in Canada and vice versa.
As part of the strategy, Minister Hussen said Canada sets out 40 million CAD in funding that is set to further contribute to the development objectives, which will be done via projects such as improving the economic conditions of vulnerable groups through social impact investing, supporting gender-sensitive and climate-smart infrastructure through public-private partnerships in Vietnam, supporting the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities, the socio-economic wellbeing of ethnic minority women in the agricultural sector, enabling disadvantaged rural women working in unpaid care work to be able to participate in paid economical activities, and improving climate governance through high quality, inclusive, gender-responsive forestry carbon projects.
The official stressed that it's imperative to make sure that "women and girls can reach their full potential and that they can participate fully in the social and economic aspects of their countries."
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| Minister Ahmed Hussen visits the Detech Coffee factory in Hung Yen. (Photo: The Canadian Embassy in Vietnam) |
Canada has been working closely with Vietnam to help create a path to prosperity over the past three decades.
This is also the topic of the book entitled “Lasting Legacy: 30 Years of Development Cooperation between Canada and Vietnam”. Available in three languages – Vietnamese, English and French, the book highlights the benefits and the works going into the growing relations between the two countries over three decades of development relations.
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Vietnam. The book chronicles the fruitful relationship that has benefited the two countries in many areas, from national governance and education to trade and connections between the two peoples.
Since the early 1990s, Canada has contributed close to 1.8 billion USD in assistance to support Vietnam’s efforts to reduce poverty and inequality, through growth that works for everyone, particularly women and girls, and Canada pledged to continue to be with Vietnam and work with Vietnam on its priorities, and achieving sustainable and inclusive growth for everyone.
By working alongside Vietnamese partners, Canada has implemented programs that have helped to fuel the economy, improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, boost environmental protection, and enhance the education system in addition to ensuring equal access to these benefits for women and ethnic minorities. In the process, Vietnam and Canada have created people-to-people and institutional ties that have also buttressed a strong trading partnership between the two countries.
Canada is now Vietnam’s third largest trading partner and Vietnam is Canada’s largest trading partner in ASEAN. In 2022, total bilateral turnover reached over 7 billion USD, an increase of nearly 17% compared to 2021. In 2023, in the difficult context of global trade, total trade exchange between Vietnam and Canada was estimated to reach 6.17 billion USD. Canada is Vietnam’s 14th largest investor with 247 projects, registered with total capital of more than 4.82 billion USD.
Mr. Hussen, 48 years old, was appointed Minister of International Development in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government last July. Vietnam is the first country in the Asia-Pacific region he visits in his new position. The visit has special significance because it takes place one week after 2023, the year commemorating the 50th anniversary of Canada-Vietnam diplomatic relations./.