The new Canadian Embassy in Hanoi will be located in a more accessible location, with open, modern space and meeting sustainable development criteria.
Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil at a press conference on August 24 in Hanoi - Photo: TRUNG QUAN
That was shared by Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil at a press conference on August 24, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations.
New, modern and accessible embassy
"We are very grateful for the current location of the Canadian Embassy. It is a historic and meaningful location," Ambassador Shawn Steil told Tuoi Tre Online .
The current Canadian Embassy in Hanoi is located at 31 Hung Vuong, Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District. The entrance to the embassy is in a restricted traffic area because it is located in the area of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square.
This makes it inconvenient for visitors to contact and book services with the Canadian Embassy. However, this location also makes the embassy of the maple leaf country extremely special compared to other countries.
In February this year, in an interview with Vietnamese media, Ambassador Shawn Steil revealed that Canada would have a new embassy. When asked about this at a press conference on August 24, Mr. Shawn Steil confirmed that Canada would have a new embassy in Hanoi.
"We plan to open a new embassy in 2024, right on the 30th anniversary of Canada opening its embassy in Vietnam," Mr. Shawn Steil shared with Tuoi Tre Online .
The Canadian Ambassador did not disclose further details about the new embassy's location, but said the embassy building would be modern, accessible, environmentally friendly, and feature sustainable construction technology.
Hope to elevate Vietnam - Canada relations
The opening of the new embassy also shows Canada's hope for a further development of bilateral relations, especially after the country announced its Indo-Pacific strategy.
In that strategy, Vietnam is identified as having an important role, contributing to helping ASEAN and Canada soon achieve the level of Strategic Partnership.
When asked about the possibility of taking Vietnam-Canada relations to a new level, Ambassador Shawn Steil said that achieving a Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam in 2017 was a significant step forward.
Following this milestone, bilateral relations have witnessed new developments in trade, investment, and security and defense cooperation, with Canada having a Defense Attaché Office in Vietnam in 2020.
"But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, activities were disrupted, people interacted less with each other, and the dynamics of promoting relationships were temporarily suspended. And last year, when everything returned to normal, we regained the momentum we had before the pandemic," Mr. Shawn Steil explained.
The Canadian Ambassador affirmed that there is still much work to be done for the two countries to reach the level of Strategic Partnership. He called this level a leap forward in bilateral relations, based on the Comprehensive Partnership foundation.
“How can we leverage this great Comprehensive Partnership platform and apply it not only to bilateral issues but also to international issues, such as jointly promoting a treaty against plastic waste or initiatives at the United Nations?
To me, answering that question will help us see the meaning of the word strategy," Mr. Shawn Steil shared with Tuoi Tre Online .
Vietnam and Canada established diplomatic relations on August 21, 1973, but it was not until 1994 that Canada opened an embassy in Hanoi. The Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City opened a year later.
In 2017, during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the two sides decided to establish a Comprehensive Partnership.
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations, and many activities have been organized in both countries. In Vietnam, the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City and the Embassy of Canada in Hanoi held celebrations on August 21 and 24, respectively.
Tuoitre.vn
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