General Secretary, President To Lam's state visit to Canada: A historic milestone in bilateral relations

Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam Jim Nickel. (Photo: Ngoc Anh)

Ambassador Jim Nickel affirmed that this will be the first visit to Canada by a Vietnamese General Secretary and President, and that Canada is very much looking forward to this historic visit.

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In 2017, Vietnam and Canada established a Comprehensive Partnership, which has delivered practical and effective results across a wide range of areas, including political and diplomatic relations, trade and investment, defence and security, development cooperation, cultural and academic exchanges, science, technology and innovation, as well as people-to-people ties, bringing bilateral relations to a new level.

Ambassador Jim Nickel noted that Vietnam-Canada relations have developed substantively in recent years. He said that General Secretary and President To Lam's visit would provide important momentum for bilateral ties and help bring the relationship to an even higher level.

He expressed his belief that the visit by the head of Vietnam's Party and State would be a historic milestone and an important landmark in Vietnam-Canada relations, creating an opportunity for the two countries to further elevate their relationship and deepen cooperation.

Economic ties continue to grow

Ambassador Jim Nickel affirmed that Vietnam holds an important position in Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Canada views Vietnam as a key partner in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in Southeast Asia. Vietnam is also currently Canada’s largest trading partner within ASEAN.

Bilateral trade has been growing rapidly, while investment ties have also continued to strengthen. Ambassador Jim Nickel noted that in 2025, two-way merchandise trade between Vietnam and Canada totaled approximately CAD 20.6 billion, up from CAD 15.7 billion in 2024, reflecting continued strong growth in bilateral trade flows. Canada’s merchandise exports to Vietnam reached CAD 1.3 billion, up from CAD 1.0 billion in 2024, while imports from Vietnam increased to CAD 19.3 billion, compared with CAD 14.7 billion in 2024.

Canada’s exports to Vietnam are primarily concentrated in agricultural and agri-food products, which account for more than half of total exports, followed by natural resources such as metals, fertilizers and wood products. Meanwhile, Canada’s imports from Vietnam are dominated by manufactured consumer goods, including electronics, apparel, furniture and footwear, as well as food products such as seafood, coffee, fruits and nuts.

Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong, Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, and Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam Jim Nickel cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new premises of the Embassy of Canada in Viet Nam on February 12. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Bilateral trade in services has also expanded steadily in recent years, driven largely by travel-related services. Canadian service exports to Viet Nam increased from CAD 569 million in 2021 to CAD 762 million in 2024, while service imports grew from CAD 60 million to CAD 313 million over the same period. Travel-related services continue to account for the majority of two-way services trade.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadian direct investment in Vietnam stood at approximately CAD 4.6 billion in 2025, driven primarily by investments in the financial services and insurance sectors. Vietnam's direct investment position in Canada, however, remains modest.

Ambassador Jim Nickel said the continued growth in trade and investment demonstrated significant potential for further expanding two-way trade. The two countries share a number of similarities in their approaches to changes in the international economic environment. Both have a need to strengthen their strategic capabilities, ensure economic security and resilience, and reduce dependence on or vulnerability to any particular market by diversifying their economic partners.

According to the Ambassador, this provides a favourable foundation for Vietnam-Canada cooperation. The two countries share values and a commitment to rules-based trade, while also pursuing the goals of economic development and creating mutual prosperity.

The bilateral relationship is also strengthened through cooperation in multilateral frameworks. Vietnam and Canada participate in a number of international forums and share an interest in protecting and strengthening multilateral institutions and international law. Canada will continue working closely with regional partners, including ASEAN, to promote a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific based on international law.

Some Canadian agricultural products on display at the Canada – Four Seasons of Excellence Agri-Food Exhibition, organised by the Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, December 2025. (Photo: Trung Anh)

Promoting academic, cultural and people-to-people ties

Alongside economic cooperation, Canada and Vietnam are also promoting academic cooperation and student exchanges between educational institutions in the two countries. Ambassador Jim Nickel said Canada encourages the establishment of partnerships between universities and educational institutions, while supporting exchange and cooperation programmes aimed at contributing to capacity building in Vietnam.

Canada has strengths in high-quality education, a safe environment for study and living, competitive costs, as well as employment, research and professional development opportunities. These factors have contributed to growing exchanges of Vietnamese students and researchers to Canada.

Between 2018 and 2025, Canada awarded 233 scholarships to Vietnamese students under the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) programme. For the 2026-2027 academic year, Canada is offering more than 60 scholarships to Vietnamese students under the Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development – Phase 2 (SEED-2) programme for study and research at Canadian educational institutions.

In the other direction, more than 40 Canadian graduate students and researchers from six Canadian post-secondary institutions will travel to Vietnam under the Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians programme. They will collaborate with Vietnamese researchers in priority areas such as aquaculture, inclusive economic governance and climate change adaptation.

Ambassador Jim Nickel noted that, at the end of 2024, there were 17,790 Vietnamese students holding valid Canadian study permits, ranking Vietnam second among ASEAN countries.

As part of its public diplomacy efforts, Canada maintains a range of activities in Vietnam and has organized various cultural programmes, including performances by Canadian artists and film screenings. These activities contribute to greater mutual understanding and stronger connections between the peoples of the two countries.

Going forward, Canada will continue to explore a wide range of channels, including business, academic, media, cultural, sports, tourism and non-governmental organizations, to expand people-to-people ties and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

In particular, as Vietnam prepares to host APEC in 2027, Ambassador Jim Nickel said this would provide an opportunity for Viet Nam to play a leadership role within APEC.

Vietnam could advance important issues on the APEC agenda, including strengthening supply chains, reinforcing commitment to rules-based trade, and addressing emerging issues such as digital trade, digital transformation and the energy transition.

Canada will also host APEC in 2029. Ambassador Jim Nickel therefore said Canada would pay close attention to the way Vietnam chairs and leads APEC in 2027, with a view to drawing lessons and experience ahead of Canada’s hosting of the forum in 2029.

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