Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand reaffirmed her country’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), emphasizing that Canada’s economic prosperity and national security are closely connected to developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
Anand made the remarks Wednesday during the ASEAN-Canada Trilateral Meeting in the Philippine capital Manila, where she met with ASEAN Chair and Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.
“Canada’s strong engagement with ASEAN reflects a simple truth: our prosperity and security at home are deeply linked to developments in the Indo-Pacific,” Anand said in her opening remarks.
She said the region is facing a time of increased geopolitical competition and conflict, making ASEAN’s role as a “trusted convener and stabilizing force” increasingly important.
The foreign minister highlighted growing economic ties between Canada and ASEAN, noting that bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately $52.4 billion last year, representing a 23% increase from 2024.
“This is a significant figure, but we know that there is more that we can do together,” she said.
Anand pointed to progress on a new ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action and negotiations toward an ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which she said Ottawa hopes to complete this year.
“For Canada, this agreement is more than just a trade deal,” she said. “It is a priority for us to make a strategic investment in mutual economic resilience and long-term prosperity.”
Beyond trade, Anand said Canada will continue expanding cooperation with ASEAN on security priorities, including maritime security, cybersecurity, combating transnational crime, cyber-enabled fraud and drug trafficking and efforts to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
During the meeting, Anand announced several new Canadian initiatives aimed at strengthening regional security and development.
Canada will provide $4.5 million to support the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and advance nonproliferation and biosecurity capabilities through the Canada-ASEAN mitigation of biological threats program.
Ottawa will also provide $1.7 million to support communities in the Philippines in protecting children from exploitation and recruitment by criminal and terrorist networks.
Additionally, Canada announced a $217,000 initiative with Laos to strengthen its capacity to prevent and respond to money laundering and fraud.
“Canada values our longstanding international assistance partnerships with many ASEAN member states,” Anand said.
“Canada remains a committed ASEAN centrality partner,” she added.
