Canada will have a new embassy in Hanoi in 2024 and the campus will be located in a more accessible location, with an open and modern space that meets all criteria for sustainable development, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil stated on Thursday.

The ambassador was speaking at a press conference conducted in Hanoi on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada. 

Steil once revealed plans on such a new embassy campus in an interview with Vietnamese media in February this year, and he confirmed this issue on Thursday.  

Accordingly, the new embassy compound will be opened next year, right on the 30th anniversary of Canada opening its embassy in Vietnam, the ambassador told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The diplomat has yet to disclose the exact location of the new embassy, saying it will be built using sustainable construction technology to make it a modern, environment-friendly, and more accessible structure.

Canada is very grateful for the current location of its embassy – 31 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District – as it is located in the area of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square, a historic and meaningful place, the ambassador said.

This location has made the embassy special compared to those of other countries, but as this is a restricted area for vehicles, it is inconvenient for visitors to contact the diplomatic agency, Steil commented.

Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations on August 21, 1973, but it was not until November 1994 that Canada opened an embassy in Hanoi.

A year later, the Consulate General of Canada was opened in Ho Chi Minh City.

The two sides set up a comprehensive partnership in 2017 during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Vietnam.

Since 2015, Vietnam has emerged to become Canada’s largest trading partner in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Trade between the two countries has increased to US$7 billion in 2022 from nearly $2 billion in 2012, according to official figures.

By the end of last year, Canada had ranked 14th out of 130 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of more than $4.8 billion.

This year marks 50 years of the two nations’ diplomatic ties, with various activities having been conducted in both countries to celebrate the anniversary. 

In Vietnam, Canada’s consulate general and embassy held celebrations on August 21 and 24, respectively.

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