Ottawa , May 8 (VNA) – ASEAN and Canada have agreed to enhance their cooperation through the comprehensive and efficient implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership during the period of 2010-2015.
The agreement was reached at the 10 th ASEAN-Canada Dialogue that took place in Toronto , Canada , on May 6-7.
Accordingly, resources will be especially focused on ASEAN’s prioritised fields of building a community, expanding connectivity and narrowing development gap. Canadian businesses are encouraged to take part in these fields.
The two sides reached consensus on fostering ties in a broad range of areas, including economics, trade, investment, education, climate change and natural disasters, food security, energy and high technology.
They agreed to join hands in managing border lines and immigrants while boosting public-private cooperation, and increasing trust building and peaceful settlement of disputes in respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for peace, stability and maritime security.
On this occasion, senior officials of the ten-nation group voiced support for Canada ’s larger participation in the region’s cooperation mechanisms.
They exchanged viewpoints on regional and international issues of mutual concern and discussed preparations for the upcoming ASEAN-Canada Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brunei .
Nguyen Tien Minh, Head of the ASEAN Department under the Foreign Ministry, who led the Vietnamese delegation to the event, said Vietnam wishes to step up ASEAN-Canada dialogue relationship in a more practical and efficient manner, which would benefit stronger ties between Vietnam and Canada.
Vietnam will boost cooperation with Canada in education, personnel training, trade promotion, oil and gas exploitation, infrastructure development, environmental protection, food security, farm product processing, climate change and women and children’s rights, he affirmed.
The ASEAN-China Dialogue is held annually to review and map out orientations for the two sides’ bilateral cooperation.
Canada is ASEAN’s 13 th largest trade partner and the bloc’s ninth largest foreign direct investor. Meanwhile, the group ranks seventh among Canada ’s largest trade partners.
Recently, Canada has consolidated linkages with Asia and ASEAN through actively engaging in activities within the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in 2011.
The country also reached a framework agreement on enhancing ASEAN-Canada partnership in 2011.
Canada is interested in joining other regional structures such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.
Vietnam News Agency
