Hanoi (VNA)– The visit to Vietnam by Canadian Minister of ForeignAffairs Mélanie Joly is a signal that Canada attaches importance tothe bilateral relationship with the Southeast Asian country, said Luis Silva, an expert on  Government relations of Canada.

Ina recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents inCanada, Silva said earlier this year, Canada and Vietnamestablished the Joint Economic Committee to advance the bilateral trade andeconomic cooperation.

However, trade as a share of Canada's gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from65 percent in 2016 to 60 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, Vietnam is a growingmarket for trade and investment in Southeast Asia, and it will be an attractivestrategic partner for Canada where economic cooperation will be mutuallybeneficial for both countries.   

Joly’s visit mainly aims to highlight thelongstanding bilateral relationship between Canada and Vietnam as they movetowards the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023, Silvasaid, adding that the two countries have seen great strides in their relationsover the past half century.

Since 2015, Vietnamhas become Canada's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, creatingeconomic prosperity for both countries, he said.

The trade relations between Vietnam and Canadacontinued to grow despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with two-way trade in 2021exceeding 6 billion USD, up 19 percent year-on-year.

Canada is among thetop five study destinations for Vietnamese students, and Vietnam is among thetop five source countries for international students in Canada.

Silva expressed his belief that the bilateral cooperation betweenCanada and Vietnam will continue to progress further ahead in the future.

Sharing Silva’s view,David Johnson, Director of the Canada – Vietnam Trade Council, said he believed that in the context thatVietnam is applying the strategy of "Safe adaptation, flexible andeffective control of the pandemic”, the Vietnamese economy will recover, andtrade, investment and supply chain activities between Vietnam and Canada willbe strengthened.

Canadian businessesexpect Joly’s visit to Vietnam will deepen the relations between the twocountries in all fields, especially in economic, investment, andpeople-to-people ties, he affirmed.

There are many reasons for Canadian businesses to hope for stronger relationswith Vietnamese partners, he stressed, adding that Vietnam's strengths inmanufacturing electronics, textiles and other consumer goods have allowedCanadian companies to diversify their sources of supply.

Canadian businessescan look to Vietnam - a member of the Comprehensive and ProgressiveTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) - to gain access to the wider region of Asia-Pacific, henoted./.