The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, met today in Ottawa with their Republic of Korea counterparts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defence Kim Yong-hyun for the inaugural Canada-ROK Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting.
Through new announcements and initiatives, Canada and the Republic of Korea will deepen cooperation as strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific, including through our shared priorities in the North Pacific, and further the significant progress already achieved in our bilateral relations.
This builds on Minister Joly's visit to South Korea in July 2024 to launch the Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan with Minister Cho, and Minister Blair's visit in September 2024 to co-host the Republic of Korea-United Nations Command Member States Defence Ministerial with Minister Kim.
Canada and the Republic of Korea have issued a joint statement to deepen cooperation on shared regional and global issues and to condemn in the strongest possible terms the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, North Korea's recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch, and Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Canada and the Republic of Korea are gravely concerned that large numbers of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia. This is a significant escalation with dangerous implications for security and stability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region. Together, Canada and the Republic of Korea call on North Korea and Russia to withdraw North Korean troops from Russia.
For more than 60 years, Canada and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed a close friendship and longstanding peace and security cooperation that dates back to the Korean War.
Today, this partnership facilitated discussions that will help expand collaboration in the years ahead, including during Canada's G7 Presidency and when the Republic of Korea hosts APEC in 2025.
These discussions touched on the Indo-Pacific strategies of our two countries that outline a common vision for ensuring the region remains secure, free and prosperous into the future.
To help realize this objective, Canada and the Republic of Korea agreed to launch the Canada-Korea Indo-Pacific Dialogue to allow direct collaboration between our Special Envoys for the Indo-Pacific.
Both countries have agreed to hold these ministerial dialogues on an ongoing basis to continue advancing Canada-ROK cooperation on a range of shared priorities.
