Minister Tran Hong Minh receives the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Vietnam

On June 22nd, 2026, in Hanoi, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh met and worked with Mr. Jim Nickel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Vietnam, to discuss the direction of strengthening cooperation in the fields of transport infrastructure development, sustainable urban development, climate change response, and promoting cooperation between the two sides.

During the meeting, Ambassador Jim Nickel highly appreciated the achievements of the Vietnamese construction industry in recent years, as well as the important role of the Ministry of Construction in Vietnam's socio-economic development and international integration.

Minister Tran Hong Minh spoke at the working session.

Ambassador Jim Nickel stated that Canada possesses significant strengths in low-carbon construction technologies, environmentally friendly building materials, wood processing technologies for construction, waste-to-energy and wastewater-to-energy conversion technologies, as well as high-quality workforce training. These are areas in which the two countries have substantial potential to expand cooperation, especially in green urban development, climate change adaptation, and technology transfer.

Sharing information about the “Climate-Resilient Vietnamese Cities” project, implemented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in close and effective cooperation with Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, Ambassador Jim Nickel affirmed that Canada is committed to continuing to share its experience, expertise, and advanced technological solutions to support Vietnam’s sustainable development efforts.

Ambassador Jim Nickel spoke at the working session.

In his remarks at the meeting, Minister Tran Hong Minh warmly welcomed Ambassador Jim Nickel and the delegation from the Embassy of Canada on their visit and working session with the Ministry of Construction. He noted that cooperation between Vietnam and Canada in the construction and transportation sectors has remained strongly and productively, deepening in both scope and substance over the years, with significant opportunities for further expansion in the future.

Recognizing Canada's experience and technological capabilities in the development of modern technical infrastructure, sustainable urban development, and climate change adaptation, as well as the support provided by the Government of Canada through the ODA project “Climate-Resilient Vietnamese Cities,” Minister Tran Hong Minh expressed his desire that Canada would further strengthen the sharing of experience in urban planning, green infrastructure development, the promotion of public–private partnership (PPP) models for transportation infrastructure and sustainable urban development; and strengthen cooperation in human resource training and technology transfer.

Overview of working session.

Minister Tran Hong Minh also acknowledged the positive outcomes of bilateral cooperation in the fields of construction infrastructure, maritime transport, and aviation. According to the Minister, Vietnam is currently focusing on the upgrading, expansion, and construction of numerous airports to meet the demands of socio-economic development and enhance international connectivity.

In this context, the Ministry of Construction hopes that Ambassador will continue to engage with relevant Canadian authorities to promote cooperation in the aviation sector, creating favorable conditions for airlines of both countries to explore more routes to Vietnam, thereby contributing to promoting people-to-people exchanges, trade and investment between the two nations.

Minister Tran Hong Minh and Ambassador Jim Nickel pose a photo with delegates at the working session.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Tran Hong Minh and Ambassador Jim Nickel expressed their confidence that, with the determination and goodwill of both sides, Vietnam–Canada relations in general, and cooperation between the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam, the Embassy of Canada, and Canadian partners in particular, will continue to grow strongly and effectively, making a positive contribution to the development and prosperity of each country.