Justin Trudeau will travel to Laos later this week for the ASEAN summit, marking what his office says will be the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to the Southeast Asian country.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings will take place in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Thursday and Friday, after which, according to the PMO, Trudeau will attend the 25th meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group in the US Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The ASEAN bloc and Canada have committed to signing a trade deal by the end of 2025, and Canada entered into a strategic partnership with the 10-nation Southeast Asian organization last year.
As work toward a trade deal continues, Trudeau’s office says he will also meet with partners at the Special ASEAN-Canada Summit, where he will emphasize Canada’s role in addressing new and emerging challenges to peace and security, including cybercrime.
The prime minister’s office says ASEAN, as a regional bloc, represents Canada’s fourth largest trading partner, with more than $38.8 billion in bilateral trade in 2023.
His office says Trudeau will “work to promote shared interests and forge even stronger ties” between Canada and Laos as the two countries celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations this year.
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“Shared challenges require shared solutions – that’s what the ASEAN Summit and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group are about,” Trudeau said in a news release about the upcoming meetings.
“Whether it’s fighting climate change, creating good-paying jobs or strengthening democracy, Canada is playing a leading role in creating a better, safer and fairer future for people around the world.”
The Ukrainian Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany will take place on Saturday and will be hosted by US President Joe Biden.
The PMO said Trudeau will highlight the importance of addressing Ukraine’s immediate economic, defense and security needs, including the provision of military equipment, security assistance and training.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
