Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Quebec on Friday (local time) for a Group of Seven (G7) summit and visit to Canada.

Upon arriving at the Jean – Lesage Airport, the Vietnamese head of government was welcomed by Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Dominic LeBlanc, officials from Quebec State and Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Nguyen Duc Hoa.

His agenda in the North American country includes attending the G7 Outreach Summit and visiting Canada from June 8 to 10 at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The G7 Outreach Summit will be held in Charlevoix, Quebec on June 8 and 9 with the participation of leaders of the world’s seven advanced economies, namely Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, and several guests, including Vietnam.

The agenda of this year’s summit focuses on gender equality and women empowerment, investment in inclusive growth, preparations to adapt to job placements in future, cooperation to respond to climate change and protect oceans, and the building of a more peaceful and safer world.

PM Phuc is also slated to attend a display of smart technology for the future at the Laval University and meet with leaders of Quebec State, and address a Vietnam - Canada business seminar and meet with leaders of several countries participating in the G7 Summit and the G7 Outreach Summit.

On Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will welcome and hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is seen at an airport in Quebec, Canada on June 8, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic ties in 1973 and began the exchange of high-ranking delegations since 1994.

On the occasion of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s official visit to Vietnam in November 2017, the two countries issued a joint statement on the establishment of their comprehensive partnership.

Vietnam is currently Canada’s biggest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with bilateral trade reaching nearly US$5 billion in 2017, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Canada is Vietnam’s 14th biggest investor, with 149 projects worth a total of $4.1 billion.

Canada has recently announced official development assistance (ODA) for a project to develop cooperatives in Vietnam, another to help the country respond to climate change and two others on food safety, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Bilateral cooperation in education and training is enjoying strong growth, with the number of Vietnamese students in Canada rising twofold in the past 10 years to 12,000, the largest among ASEAN countries.