Participants of the teleconference (Photo: VNA)

The event was jointly organsised by the Canada-Vietnam Society and the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association. Elizabeth McIninch, member of the CVS Executive Board, underscored the importance of Vietnam’s role as Canada's largest development partner in Southeast Asia, with Ho Chi Minh City representing one of the most important hubs for startups globally. She went on to point out that Vietnam has high demand for several fields which are Canada's strengths, including clean technology, agricultural technology, food processing, public transportation, road infrastructure, and renewable energy.

McIninch explained that the new-generation free trade agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, will serve as a driving force for future co-operation between the two countries.  She voiced her optimism that despite challenges caused by the pandemic, there remains bright prospects for co-operation between the two countries in the near future.

To mark the occasion, the Canada-Vietnam Society donated 2,000 CAD to the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases each to support frontline doctors in Vietnam in the COVID-19 battle.