The secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Nguyen Van Nen, hosted receptions on Tuesday to welcome the newly-appointed Consul Generals of Canada and Malaysia to Ho Chi Minh City, emphasizing that the city always welcomes opportunities to collaborate with international partners to enhance its position in the global value chain.

The Party chief’s welcoming coincided with the special occasion of the 50th anniversary of their countries diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

Vietnam, Canada enhance cooperation in education

Speaking with the new Consul General of Canada Annie Dube, Nen stated that the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and Canada over the past 50 years has transcended geographical distance and continued its comprehensive development in the wake of the elevation of the bilateral relationship to comprehensive partnership in 2017.

In response to the city's Party chief, Dube expressed Canada's keen interest in the development of the Vietnam-Canada relationship over the next 50 years.

The Canadian Consul General shared that a meeting also recently took place between a delegation of 22 Canadian universities and 80 Vietnamese universities.

Dube shared his hope that both countries will continue to enhance their collaboration in this area.

According to Nen, two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Canada is expected to exceed the $700 million mark this year.

However, he shared his belief that this figure still fails to adequately reflect the level of the bilateral relationship. 

He welcomed Canada's investments in the city, especially in areas such as healthcare, finance, science and technology, digital transformation, human resource development, and climate change adaptation.

City eyes on Halal food

At the reception for Consul General of Malaysia Firdauz Bin Othman, Nen noted that Vietnam and Malaysia have built a strong and friendly relationship over the past 50 years.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen (R) receives a souvenir from the new Malaysian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Firdauz Bin Othman on October 10, 2023. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

Additionally, both countries have leveraged their shared interests and contributed to the development of the ASEAN community.

Malaysia is currently the second-largest investor in Vietnam among ASEAN countries, with a total registered capital of over $13 billion.

Nen stated that the city and Malaysia have the potential for cooperation and investment in various areas, including food security, digital economy, green economy, smart infrastructure development, high-end tourism services, and notably, the production and processing of Halal food for export.

In response, Consul General Othman also emphasized the importance of enhancing people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Malaysia, particularly in the field of tourism.

He also expressed his gratitude to the city for providing favorable conditions for Malaysian businesses operating locally.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!