JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Canada names ambassador to Association of Southeast Asian Nations for first time

Canada names ambassador to Association of Southeast Asian Nations for first time

Saturday, January 30, 2016, 11:23 GMT+7

The Canadian government has for the first time appointed an ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), at a time when Canada and the bloc prepare to celebrate four decades of their dialog partnership next year.

Marie-Louise Hannan is now the Canadian ambassador to the grouping, according to a press release the Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City sent to Tuoi Tre News on Monday.

ASEAN is a political and economic organization of ten countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The appointment is significant in that it is the first time Canada has had a dedicated ambassador to ASEAN, the release said.

It marks the expansion of Canada’s permanent mission to ASEAN, in Jakarta, and demonstrates Canada’s strong commitment to enhanced relations with the group of countries.

Canada has recently increased its diplomatic presence in ASEAN states.

The North American country opened its first resident diplomatic mission in Yangon, Myanmar, in 2013 before inaugurating two new offices, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Vientiane, Laos, in August 2015, thereby ensuring for the first time a permanent, resident Canadian diplomatic presence in all 10 ASEAN member states.

Canada continues to partner with ASEAN on concrete initiatives in key areas, including disaster risk management, human rights, the countering of non-traditional security threats, public-private infrastructure partnerships and support for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The country has been an ASEAN dialogue partner, one of only 10 countries enjoying such status, since 1977.

The two sides will celebrate 40 years of dialogue partner relations in 2017.

ASEAN is one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, the press release said, adding that as a group, it is Canada’s seventh-largest merchandise trading partner.

In 2014, Canada-ASEAN merchandise trade reached $18.8 billion.

Canada is working to double ASEAN-Canada bilateral goods and services trade and investment by 2020, an ambitious target to advance the relationship to new heights.

Canada is providing more than $14 million in security assistance in regional programming for ASEAN member states.

This support is helping ASEAN achieve its ambitious integration goals, contributing to regional peace and security and promoting Canadian foreign policy objectives in Southeast Asia.

In fiscal year 2013-14, Canada supplied $320.31 million in official development assistance to the ASEAN region through all channels.

This includes bilateral aid programs and support to multilateral organizations that deliver aid to countries in the region, as well as other government of Canada investments.

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Latest news