Lunar New Year Festival celebrated in RoK, Canada

Receptions to celebrate lunar New Year Festival (Tet) were held by the Vietnamese Ambassadors to the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Canada.
At the reception in Seoul, the RoK, on February 7, Ambassador Tran Trong Toan reviewed Vietnam’s achievements in politic, diplomatic, culture, socio-economic areas in 2009 and emphasised the country’s economic recovery, maintaining the economic growth rate at 5.3% against the previous target of 5%.
Vietnam and the RoK lifting bilateral ties to the strategic partnership opened a new chapter in development of the countries’ relations, creating a firm legal basis and favourable conditions for bilateral cooperation in a new height, Ambassador Toan stressed.
The Party and Government highly appreciate contributions by the overseas Vietnamese, including those living abroad, he added. There are about 90,000 Vietnamese people living in the RoK.
Lee Hee-yeon, descendant of Ly dynasty family in the RoK, thanked the Vietnamese Party, Government and Embassy’s attention to the expatriates’ lives. He was moved on the Vietnamese government’s decision to grant the citizenship to several members of the Ly family.
At a get-together at the “Vietnamese House” in Ottawa, Canada, on February 6, Ambassador Nguyen Duc Hung reviewed outstanding events in the two countries’ ties over the past year, saying that both countries are seeing strong and favourable development in their comprehensive cooperation.
Two-way trade between Vietnam and Canada reached USD1.3 billion in 2009, and the northern American country became Vietnam’s 10th largest trading partner with a total registered capital of USD4.2 billion, the ambassador said.
Both countries are also boosting cooperation in education, labour and employment, he added, attributing the development to the overseas Vietnamese’s contributions.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took this occasion to send a message of greetings to the embassy, affirming further development of the friendship and effective cooperation between the two countries, which, he said have helped expand cultural and trade exchanges.