Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The leaders highlighted the strong history between Canada and the Philippines and deep people-to-people ties between the two nations. Prime Minister Trudeau invited President Marcos Jr. to visit Canada next year as they looked forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.
The Prime Minister and the President reviewed progress in bilateral commercial relations, including agriculture and agri-food, education, and clean technologies. Prime Minister Trudeau announced plans for a Team Canada Trade Mission to the Philippines in 2024.
Prime Minister Trudeau thanked President Marcos Jr. for his support of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and provided an update on the implementation of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The leaders expressed their appreciation for Canada’s expansion of the electronic travel authorization (eTA) program to include the Philippines, as this further reaffirms the strong ties between the two nations.
The Prime Minister and the President discussed Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and the severe impact the conflict is having on food security in the region. They also noted their respective commitments to the rule of law and to regional security and international law in the South China Sea. The Leaders spoke about the importance of freedom of speech and protecting democracy.
The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact on these shared priorities and looked forward to seeing each other again next year.
SOURCE PMO
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