02 February 2021, Vietnam: On February 2, in Hanoi, a Signing Ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding was held between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Cooperation in sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
At the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of MARD Phung Duc Tien said that Vietnam and Canada have established good diplomatic relations in the past 50 years since 1973. In recent years, the two countries have strengthened friendly cooperation. Since the 1990s, the Government of Canada has had a lot of support to Vietnam in the field of poverty reduction, policy development, and agricultural value chain development. Bilateral relations between the two countries continued to develop. In particular, recently, in order to support the agricultural and rural development sectors to meet new development needs, the Government of Canada has supported Vietnam the Food Safety Program aiming at raising awareness of food safety for Vietnamese people, improving the competitiveness of food production and business establishments, assisting Vietnam in implementing food safety regulations on scientific basis.
To deepen the cooperative relationship between the two countries on food safety, to establish a mechanism to cooperate and address food safety, consumer protection, animal health and co-operation and to support each other to implement commitments in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership to which the two countries are members, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinates with the Canadian food inspection agency to develop a Memorandum of Understanding on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has assigned Agro-forestry and Fishery Quality Control Department to act as the focal point, in coordination with other MARD agencies such as Department of Livestock Production, Department of Animal Health, Department of Plant Protection, SPS Vietnam Office and relevant agencies enforce this Memorandum of Understanding. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding will reflect the wishes and determination of both sides in strengthening the relationship and cooperation for the benefit of the people of the two countries.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien believes that this MOU will contribute to boosting the growth of agricultural trade between the two countries and deepening the relationship between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Canada’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food in particular and the relationship between the two countries in general.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Vietnam Ms. Deborak Paul said that Vietnam is Canada’s biggest partner in Asean. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Food Inspection Agency of Canada have had many activities aimed at the interests of both sides. And this MOU will deepen the technical cooperation between the two agencies.
