(VOVWORLD) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh talked on the phone with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Wednesday to discuss measures to promote bilateral ties and COVID-19 response.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has phone talks with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on May 19, 2021 (Photo: VOV) |
Prime Minister Chinh thanked the Government and people of Canada for their practical support to Vietnam such as donating 120,000 N95 masks, 3.5 million Canadian dollars to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, as well as a relief package of 700,000 Canadian dollars for disaster recovery in central Vietnam.
As the two countries are looking to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2023, Mr. Chinh suggested focusing on anti-pandemic work, with Canada facilitating Vietnam’s access to COVID-19 vaccines and offering mutual support in consular work and citizen protection. The two sides promote cooperation between localities and education cooperation, the Prime Minister said, adding that Canada takes measures to support more than 20,000 Vietnamese students in Canada affected by COVID-19 and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese community there.
Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed commitment to fostering strong cooperation and vowed to continue assisting Vietnam and regional countries in access to COVID-19 vaccines via mechanisms such as ACT Accelerator, COVAX Facility and ASEAN’s COVID-19 response fund.
The two Prime Ministers also discussed regional and global issues, including the East Sea issue, and agreed to continue working closely together at multilateral forums such as the United Nations, APEC, ASEAN and Francophone.