About 45 Canadian scholars and experts gathered at an online conference in Toronto on April 24 to discuss the development of the Vietnamese nation and people after 48 years of national reunification.

Philip Fernandez from the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Society said that the historical milestone of the victory on April 30, 1975 was a start of Vietnam's success in various fields, especially economy, diplomacy and human development towards the UN targets.

Vietnamese Consul General in Vancouver Nguyen Quang Trung recalled the difficulties that Vietnam burdened after the national reunification and affirmed its achievements in economy and external relations that have been recognised by the international community.

The results show extraordinary efforts of Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, he stated.

The diplomat noted that Vietnam has posted a growth rate of 6-8% annually since the beginning of the millennium. Particularly, despite COVID-19 pandemic, the country still recorded an expansion of over 8%, the highest level in the recent 10 years.

Vietnam has also continued to maintain friendly relations with all countries in the world, with twice serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Vietnam has always been an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and has made responsible contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity, Trung added.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency's correspondents in Ottawa, Dinh Kim Nguyet, an overseas Vietnamese (OV) in Canada, said that the new policies of Vietnam, including those on visa exemption and residence card, have benefited the OV community, enabling them to easily return to and operate in the homeland.

The event was part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Canada relations (1973-2023).

Vietnam and Canada have enjoyed fruitful partnership, with two-way trade hitting over 10 billion CAD (over 7.3 billion USD) in 2022. Vietnam has become Canada's largest trading partner among ASEAN countries. The two countries celebrated five years of their comprehensive partnership last year./.

Q.Hoa t.h / VNA