Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland (Source: AFP/VNA)Ottawa (VNA) – Canada, as a Pacific nation, is proud to stand withSoutheast Asian partners to advance peace, security and prosperity for peoplein the region and globally, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs ChrystiaFreeland has said.
Canada will continue to work together to protect and promotethe two sides’ shared values and interests, Freeland stated ahead of her visitto Singapore to attend the annual ASEAN-Canada Post-Ministerial Conference andthe ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) from August 3-4.
According to a press release by the Global Affairs Canada,the minister will meet with counterparts from Asia and around the world toadvance Canadian priorities and coordinate international efforts on pressingpolitical and security issues, such as the threat posed by the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea, the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar andthe defence of human rights.
She is scheduled to deliver the International Institute forStrategic Studies’ Fullerton Lecture on August 2 in Singapore. The Institute isa forum for leaders from around the world to discuss security and geopoliticalissues. In her remarks, she will address how Canada, together with its partnersin Asia and around the world, can step up to support and renew theinternational rules-based order.
Canada set up its ties with ASEAN in 1977 and is a foundingmember of the ARF, the premier multilateral security and defence forum in the Asia-Pacificregion.
Last year was the 40th anniversary of Canada attaining thestatus of ASEAN dialogue partner. Events marking this culminated with PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau’s November 2017 participation in the ASEAN Summit as aguest of the chair, as well as his hosting of the first-ever ASEAN-CanadaSummit.
ASEAN member-state economies represent Canada’ssixth-largest merchandise trading partner. In 2017, Canada-ASEAN merchandisetrade reached a value of 23.3 billion CAD (17.9 billion USD).
Canada partners with ASEAN on a wide range of issues, fromrespect for justice and the rule of law to regional peace and stability,migrants’ rights and equitable and inclusive trade, while working closely withASEAN countries on countering terrorism, counter-proliferation and humanitarianassistance and disaster relief.-VNA
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