July 27, 2006
No. 87
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced that he will attend the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) meeting taking place in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 28, 2006. The Minister also attended the ASEAN
Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) on July 27, 2006.
“Canada holds significant interests in the Asia Pacific region and is strongly committed
to a long-term partnership with ASEAN,” said Minister MacKay. “I look forward to
meeting my counterparts and discussing ways we can work together to enhance peace
and security throughout the region, building on our already well-established relations
with regional partners.”
ASEAN is a regional organization comprising 10 Southeast Asian countries—Brunei
Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam. Established in 1978, the PMC provides an opportunity for the 10
foreign ministers of ASEAN member states to meet once a year with their counterparts
from 10 dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India,
Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States).Topics of
discussion at this year’s Conference included enhanced political, economic and
development cooperation between Canada and ASEAN.
Created in 1994, the ARF is a key multilateral forum in the Asia Pacific region dealing
with peace and security issues. It comprises the 10 ASEAN countries plus 15 other
members: Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan,
Papua New Guinea, Russia, Timor Leste and the United States. This year, discussion
topics will include an exchange of views on a variety of regional and international
issues, such as non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, counterterrorism and
transnational crime, human rights and future directions of the ARF.
Canada has been an ASEAN dialogue partner country since 1977, and Canadian
foreign ministers have participated in the ARF since it was established in 1994.
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