President Tran Dai Quang (right) and Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan during their meeting in Hanoi on June 5. (Photo: VNA)

President Quang said Vietnam is keen on developing the Comprehensive Partnership with Canada adding that the two nations have maintained a good relations and together made efforts to promote common goals and economic growth and increase trade exchange. The president also cited the fact that Vietnam is now Canada’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN while Canada is among Vietnam’s large investors.

The Canadian Defence Minister informed his host on outcomes of the talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich during which the two sides agreed to step up partnership in areas of mutual interest, including defence industry, personnel training, UN peacekeeping missions, marine security and military medicine. The ministers also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the Military Training and Cooperation Programme of Canada, allowing Vietnamese officers to take part in diverse training courses in Canada.

Sajjan spoke highly of the Vietnamese community in Canada, saying some 14,000 Vietnamese students who are studying in Canada would play a significant part in consolidating and developing the two countries’ relations.

Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan is paying an official visit to Vietnam from June 4 to 6 at the invitation of Minister of National Defence Ngo Xuan Lich.