General Secretary, President To Lam's special plane landed at Ottawa Mcdonald-Cartier International Airport on the evening of 23/9, marking the start of a state visit at the invitation of Canadian Governor General Louise Arbour, according to TTXVN.
Canadian government officials, along with staff from the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, welcomed General Secretary, President To Lam at the airport.
 |
Canadian officials and staff from the Vietnamese Embassy welcomed General Secretary, President To Lam at Ottawa Mcdonald-Cartier International Airport. *Photo: TTXVN*
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang stated that this visit by the General Secretary, President will create strong political momentum, fostering more substantive, balanced, and effective Vietnam-Canada relations, aligning with the two countries' potential, strengths, and needs.
The visit also marks the beginning of a more strategic and comprehensive development phase between the two nations, positively contributing to peace and stability regionally and globally.
Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations in 1973, upgrading to a comprehensive partnership in November 2017. Canada is currently advancing its Indo-Pacific Strategy, strengthening ties with ASEAN and key partners in the region.
In 2025, two-way trade between Vietnam and Canada reached 8.6 billion USD. For the first six months of 2026, bilateral trade hit 4.92 billion USD, an increase of 27.3% compared to the same period last year.
Vietnam is Canada's leading trade partner in ASEAN and its sixth largest trade partner among the 40 Indo-Pacific countries. Canada is Vietnam's third largest export partner in the Americas and its seventh largest export market.
The number of Vietnamese international students in Canada increased from 14,000 in 2017 to over 20,000 currently, representing the highest growth among ASEAN countries. Approximately 300,000 people of Vietnamese origin live in Canada, forming the fifth largest non-European community, primarily concentrated in four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.
By Ngoc Anh
