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Canada strengthens partnership with ASEAN

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird has announced in detail his country’s commitment on additional funding for ASEAN-Canada cooperation initiatives.
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird has announced in detail hiscountry’s commitment on additional funding for ASEAN-Canada cooperationinitiatives.

The FM told the press on July 2following his attendance at the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting and theASEAN Regional Forum that Canadian aids include a 2 million USD projectto consolidate ASEAN’s internal and external economic relations, and a4.5 million USD funding for a Singapore-based ASEAN infrastructurecentre to serve the bloc’s connectivity.

The countryalso pledged the provision of 10 million USD in four years formitigating disaster impacts and 5 million USD for security initiativesin Southeast Asia.

The FM affirmed that Canadacontinues to make remarkable contributions to ASEAN’s goal of building acommunity and will maximise its involvement in the process.

Canada has over the past 18 months pumped 8 million USD into appliedhealth research as well as added 1 million USD to projects to assistbusinesses and scientists engaged in scientific, technological andmedicinal research in the bloc.

Ties between ASEAN and Canada have grown since the northern American country become ASEAN’s dialogue partner 36 years ago.-VNA
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