Foreign affairs minister Joly heading to Indonesia, Vietnam to expand partnerships

Canada’s foreign affairs minister is travelling to Asia for meetings to expand partnerships and engage with nations as part of the government’s forthcoming Canadian Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Mélanie Joly says she will visit Indonesia and Vietnam.

She says in a release that the prosperity, security and well-being of Canadians will be increasingly linked to economic, social and political developments of the Indo-Pacific region.

Joly is to meet in Jakarta with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi, with stakeholders on policy and regional security in the Indo-Pacific, and with feminist leaders supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In Hanoi, Joly is to meet with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and other Vietnamese government officials to underscore Canada and Vietnam’s ties in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023.

She is also to visit the province of Thái Nguyên to meet with ethnic minority women and learn more about how Canada’s development assistance is helping to strengthen women-led businesses.

“I look forward to visiting Indonesia and Vietnam to gain a better understanding of the region, to expand partnerships and to contribute successfully to a more secure, resilient, inclusive and sustainable Indo-Pacific for the benefit of all people,” she said in a release.

Joly will be travelling from Saturday to April 14.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2022.

The Canadian Press