Vietnam and Canada Establish New Strategic Partnership

Vietnamese President and General Secretary To Lam conducted a historic state visit to Ottawa on September 24-25, 2026, marking the first visit by a leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam since diplomatic relations began in 1973. During the visit, To Lam and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney upgraded the bilateral relationship from a 2017 Comprehensive Partnership to a Strategic Partnership.

The new framework is built on eight pillars, including energy security, digital transformation, AI, and defense. To implement these goals, the two nations signed four Memoranda of Understanding covering climate change, food safety, maritime transport, and energy. Canada pledged $81.43 million in development funding for climate action and economic empowerment in Vietnam. To Lam proposed a two-way trade target of $14-15 billion by 2030, while both leaders expressed support for concluding a Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement within the year.

A key outcome of the visit was an expanded air transport agreement enabling direct passenger and cargo flights between the two nations for the first time. Prime Minister Carney noted that the partnership aligns with his initiative for middle powers to collaborate to counter economic coercion from the United States and China. To Lam also met with Governor General Louise Arbour and leaders of the Canadian Parliament, where he proposed making parliamentary cooperation a central pillar of the new relationship to strengthen political trust.