Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Her Excellency Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post Ministerial Conference in Manila, Philippines.
Minister Anand thanked Secretary Lazaro and the Philippines for hosting this year's ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and said she looked forward to building on the momentum from Secretary Lazaro's visit to Canada earlier this month.
During their meeting, Minister Anand and Secretary Lazaro agreed to launch negotiations for a new plan of action to serve as the guiding framework of the Canada-Philippines Strategic Partnership that was announced earlier this month in Vancouver by Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Minister Anand highlighted that the Canada-Philippines Strategic Partnership and the launch of negotiations on a plan of action reflect the significant progress made in strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation, deepening defence and security cooperation, and fostering closer people-to-people ties between the two countries. The Philippines is one of Canada's most valued partners in the Indo-Pacific and its relationship with Canada has deepened significantly over the last few years.
To continue deepening this relationship, they discussed their shared commitment to concluding negotiations toward the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement and to concluding the Canada-Philippines free trade agreement as early as possible, highlighting the potential to strengthen trade and investment ties and enhancing competitiveness.
The ministers also talked about the importance of maintaining peace, stability and maritime security and safety in the South China Sea consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
