Canadian Ambassador to ASEAN (Photo: Twitter)Jakarta (VNA) - Canada’sassistance to ASEAN is focussed on the bloc’s objectives in promoting and protecting therights of women and girls, strengthening human capital; building resilience tonatural disasters, and promoting peace and security, Canadian Ambassador toASEAN Diedrah Kelly has said.
In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency in Jakarta following theclosing of the recently virtual ASEAN-Canada Foreign Ministerial Meeting, AmbassadorKelly said it is with this in mind that Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs François-PhilippeChampagne announced a package totaling more than 9.1 million USD in new fundingtargeting ASEAN with a focus on regional priorities including strengtheningdemocratic reforms; enhancing border security; countering migrant smuggling andcybersecurity.
Foreign ministers also adopted the new ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action for2021-2025, which provides a solid framework to expand collaboration andcooperation between the two sides, she noted.
Kelly affirmed her country is also keen to expand its trade and investment tieswith ASEAN member states, saying that Canada firmly believes an FTA would bringsignificant economic benefit to ASEAN and Canada, including by giving ASEANmember states a platform into the North American market.
It is necessary to underline ASEAN’simportance as a key multilateral partner and one that has never been morecrucial, she stressed, adding that Canada will continue to be a constructiveand engaged partner for the bloc, whether it is fighting the pandemic.
She expressed her belief that the two sides will continue to work togethereffectively.
According to the ambassador, as a founding member of the ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF), the Canadian FM also participated in the 27th ARF Ministerial Meeting.
The annualgathering is an important opportunity to exchange views on regional securityconcerns such as stresses on the rules-based international order, thedebilitating impact of COVID-19, and tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the EastSea as examples, she said.
The meeting is not just about making statements, it is also an opportunity totake stock of the preventative diplomacy and confidence building measures thathad taken place and lay the groundwork for activities in the nextinter-sessional year, she said.
Canada’s security programming efforts in SoutheastAsia aim to promote peace and stability, and combat threats related tochemical, biological, radiological and nuclear proliferation, transnationalcrime, and terrorism, the ambassador noted, adding that her country spent 80million Canadian dollars on the security efforts in the last decade.
In addition to the above messages, commitments and initiatives, Canadamentioned the fight against COVID-19 and the post-pandemic economic recovery.
AmbassadorKelly said COVID-19 poses a unique and truly global challenge, it knows noborders, emphasising the need for ASEAN and Canada to work together to defeatthe pandemic.
The themeof this year’s chairmanship, “Cohesive and Responsive” decided by Vietnam inits role as the ASEAN Chairman, is fitting in the face of COVID-19, she said.
The theme has proven to be more relevant than ever during the COVID-19pandemic, where AMS and partners have had to work together to overcomechallenges and be responsive to the health, economic and other impacts of thepandemic.
The scope andscale of the global pandemic has tested every community, country andinstitution, she noted.
“It is because of Vietnam’sleadership that ASEANhas continued, despite the challenges our new environment poses (including byconnecting us through online meeting platforms), implementing its Communityvision 2025,” she said.
Canada isproud to have stepped up and provided strong support to ASEAN to help addressthe challenges posed by this pandemic, she stated./.
VNA
