Joint statement on the Strategic Partnership between Canada and Viet Nam

At the invitation of the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Tô Lâm paid a State visit to Canada from September 24 to 25, 2026. This was the first official visit to Canada of a General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1973, marking a historic milestone in Canada-Viet Nam relations.

As part of the visit, His Excellency Tô Lâm met with the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, in Ottawa. The visit demonstrated the strong commitment of both leaders to usher bilateral relations into a new era of deeper, more substantive and more sustainable cooperation, underpinned by stronger economic cooperation, mutually beneficial growth, and sustainable development.

Canada and Viet Nam are trusted partners committed to a relationship grounded in mutual respect for each other’s political system, independence, and sovereignty and territorial integrity; open and honest dialogue; balanced and intertwined interests, adherence to international laws and the United Nations Charter for the purposes of regional and global peace, stability, cooperation, and development. As countries with deep integration in the global trading system, Canada and Viet Nam recognise that prosperity depends on rules-based international economic engagements.

The two leaders elevated Canada-Viet Nam relations to a Strategic Partnership anchored in eight pillars: 1) Bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation; 2) Trade, investment, financial and economic cooperation; 3) Cooperation on transportation and supply chain management and infrastructure; 4) Cooperation on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, and innovation; 5) Cooperation on energy security, environment and sustainable growth; 6) Cooperation on food security, and agri-food; 7) Cooperation on defence, security, maritime, law enforcement, and justice; and, 8) Cooperation on education, culture, and people-to-people ties. Collectively, these pillars position Canada and Viet Nam to address shared challenges, seize emerging opportunities, and contribute to a more secure, prosperous, and dynamic Indo-Pacific region.

Bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation

Cooperation on transportation, supply chain management and infrastructure

Cooperation on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, advanced technologies and innovation

Cooperation on food security and agri-food

Cooperation on defence, security, maritime, law enforcement and justice

The foreign ministers of both countries will coordinate with relevant agencies to develop an Action Plan to implement the Strategic Partnership’s objectives.