HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a get-together on July 2 to celebrate Canada Day (July 1, 1867-2025), showing friendship between the people of the city and Canada.

Nguyen The Thanh, Vice President of the Vietnam–Canada Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1973, the bilateral relationship has continuously developed in a solid, substantive, and effective manner across various fields, including politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, development cooperation, education and training, and people-to-people exchange.

In terms of economic and trade ties, Canada is currently Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner in North America. Conversely, Vietnam is Canada’s largest trading partner in ASEAN and ranks among Canada’s top 40 trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

These outcomes reflect the significant potential for cooperation between the two economies, as well as the strong and effective partnership between their respective business communities, Thanh said.

Canada is currently a popular destination for Vietnamese students, with approximately 20,000 students studying at Canadian educational institutions. The Vietnamese community in Canada, numbering around 275,000 people, has deeply integrated into local society and made contributions to the country’s economic, cultural, and social life, and serves as a firm human bridge between the two nations.

In the context of the flourishing Vietnam–Canada relationship, Thanh expressed her hope that the HUFO will continue to receive strong cooperation from Canadian partners, including the Consulate General, friendship organisations, business associations, and non-governmental organisations, to promote multifaceted cooperation and people-to-people exchanges further, thereby strengthening the solidarity between the people of Ho Chi Minh City and Canada.

Canadian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Annie Dube affirmed that the activities of Canada’s diplomatic mission in Vietnam are part of Canada’s broader effort to strengthen ties with trusted allies, trade partners, development partners, and global collaborators, from governments to civil society, to promote shared prosperity and international collaboration. This includes advancing the Indo-Pacific Strategy and engaging in trade negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is a member.

Sharing he♛r pride in a multicultural, united, and connected Canada on the occasion of Canada Day, Dube highlighted the need to work together to chart a new path forward, which will lead towards a more stable and prosperous future for the two countries./.