A workshop highlighting the potential and benefits of the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Canada was held in Ottawa on March 2.

Delegates at the workshop (Photo: VNA)

Abdul Kadir Jailani, Indonesian Ambassador to Canada, told Viet Nam News Agency reporters that the FTA will bring benefits to all the involved parties, including Viet Nam.

The cooperation between ASEAN and Canada – its dialogue partner since 1977 covers all the three pillars: economy, culture-society, and politics-security.

Canada’s trade and investment activities in the Southeast Asian market have developed rapidly in various fields such as oil and gas, mining, high technology, telecommunication, food processing, financial services, and aviation.

Jean Charest, Honourary Chairman of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, said Canada could serve as a gateway for ASEAN businesses to access North American and European markets via the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA 2.0) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada the the EU.

Since 2017, Canada and ASEAN member countries have been conducting discussions on the possibility of a bilateral FTA. Canada hopes to launch FTA negotiations with ASEAN in 2020.

Founded in 1967, ASEAN groups 10 member countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

(Source: VNA)