Statement by the Head of the Canadian Observer Delegation to the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) 45th General Assembly
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
The Honourable Yuen Pau Woo, Senator
The Honourable President of AIPA, Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Honourable AIPA Secretary General, Ibu Siti Rozaimariyanti Dato Haji Abdul Rahman, Excellencies, Fellow Parliamentarians, Friends:
Sabaidi and Good Afternoon.
I am delighted to be in Lao PDR, together with my colleagues Senator Clement Gignac and Senator Krista Ross, representing the Parliament of Canada at the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
On behalf of the Canadian delegation, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Laos for organizing this year’s general assembly and for your generous hospitality.
Canada has been an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1977. Our diplomatic relations with ASEAN members extend even further back in time. This year, for example, marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Lao PDR.
The Canadian Parliament is a regular participant at AIPA’s annual assemblies, and we make the most of our attendance each year by having constructive discussions with representatives of ASEAN member states and Observer Parliaments.
We strongly believe in the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a channel for dialogue about nations and peoples. In a world where aggression, violent conflict, and impunity are becoming normalized, the need for representatives from different legislatures to talk to each other, and to try and better understand each other’s perspectives, is more important than ever.
Canada is committed to deeper dialogue and cooperation with ASEAN. In 2023, Canada and ASEAN announced the establishment of a bilateral Strategic Partnership. As part of Canada’s Indo Pacific Strategy, this partnership marks a new stage in the deepening of our cooperation across all three ASEAN community pillars, encompassing political and security, economic, and socio-cultural issues.
Canada and ASEAN are currently negotiating a trade agreement which we hope will be concluded in 2025. In the meantime, Canada has enhanced its presence in Southeast Asia with the posting of an Indo Pacific Trade Coordinator in Jakarta and the opening of a regional agriculture and agrifood office in Manila. And just last week, Canada announced the upgrading of our diplomat posts in Phnom Penh and Vientiane to full embassies.
Canada’s relationship with ASEAN is not only about business. It is also – perhaps even more so – about people-to-people relations. More than 1 million Canadians are of Southeast Asian descent, including me. And I am not the only member of the Canadian Senate who hails from this part of the world. We also have a senator who is of Filipino ancestry.
One of the core objectives of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is to build on our people-to-people connections with Southeast Asia. This includes facilitating international travel and academic exchanges. Through the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Development Initiative, Canada has already supported over 600 students from ASEAN to study or conduct research in Canada.
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy underscores the importance of ASEAN centrality. For me, centrality means always applying an ASEAN lens to the issues that matter to Canada in the region, and always being alive to the issues that matter to ASEAN around the world.
Our delegation is committed to promoting the awareness of ASEAN centrality among our colleagues in Ottawa and strengthening links between the Parliaments of Canada and ASEAN member countries.
I want to again thank Lao PDR for hosting AIPA this year and all AIPA delegations for warmly welcoming Canada as an observer at your General Assembly. I look forward to productive discussions in the days ahead and I wish everyone a successful meeting.