ASEAN Day celebration in Canada commemorates and envisions half a century of mutual diplomatic ties
Strengthening Ties: ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership Reaches New Heights
The ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership has reached a significant milestone, elevated to its current status in 2023, marking over 40 years of steadily growing relations. This partnership aligns with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and focuses on enhancing cooperation in economic, social, and people-to-people exchanges.
The partnership's future plans include the active negotiation of a free trade agreement (FTA) aimed at creating mutual opportunities and shared prosperity. Currently, bilateral trade is approaching $40 billion, making ASEAN Canada’s fourth-largest trading partner.
In addition to the FTA, various initiatives support the partnership. The ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action (2021–2025) is being continuously implemented, with regular reviews to ensure progress in cooperation across multiple sectors. Canada is also increasing its diplomatic presence in the region, such as upgrading its mission in Laos to a full embassy in 2025.
Trade missions by Canadian ministers and industry representatives to ASEAN countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines are strengthening ties, particularly in the agricultural and agri-food sectors. Canada's engagement in ASEAN community-building activities and participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms are also recognized by the ASEAN Secretary-General.
Vietnam, as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Canada, will work closely with other member state embassies in carrying out substantive activities to strengthen the bloc's image and deepen the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership. The Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada, Pham Vinh Quang, affirmed that ASEAN has always been a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy and economic development strategy.
The ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada to mark ASEAN Day served as an opportunity to reflect on nearly six decades of ASEAN’s growth and recognize Vietnam’s contributions over the past 30 years. The event also marked the growth of ASEAN as a driving force for regional stability and a hub for integration.
Former Canadian Senator Victor Oh praised Vietnam as a dynamic country with strong manufacturing and robust economic growth, while Canadian Minister of State for International Trade Yasir Naqvi emphasized the growing strength of Canada-ASEAN ties. The ASEAN Family Day 2025, to be hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa, aims to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
With a combined GDP approaching US$4 trillion, ASEAN is the world's fifth-largest economy. Vietnam's exports to North America surpass those of any other ASEAN member, highlighting the strategic importance of the FTA in Canada’s goal of diversifying and multilateralizing its trade relations.
In conclusion, the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership is robust and expanding, with the important concrete step of negotiating an FTA underway, alongside broader diplomatic, economic, and social cooperation initiatives within the Indo-Pacific framework.
- The ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership, given its focus on economic cooperation, could benefit significantly from the integration of advanced AI technologies in trade negotiations, policy formulation, and economic forecasting.
- As the fifth-largest economy in the world, ASEAN's growth is not only a matter of general-news interest but also a potential area of mutual interest for trade and investment policies between ASEAN and Canada.
- The ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Canada, expected to create mutual opportunities and shared prosperity, could be influenced by the political climate and policies in both regions, making the partnership a key topic in both domestic and international politics.
