“As a strategic partner, I hope Canada can become an anchor for peace and stability in the region, respectful of international law and promoting more concrete and inclusive cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Wednesday as he addressed Canada to a new strategic partnership.

The partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is seen as a symbolic gesture reflecting Canada’s increased presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking to union leaders on Wednesday, Trudeau said it showed progress towards a possible free trade agreement between Canada and the ten-nation bloc.

“We share a clear commitment to peace and stability, openness and transparency, development and economic cooperation, and an understanding that international rules are essential for growth,” argued Mr. Trudeau.

Prime Minister Trudeau met with those countries’ leaders this week on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN Summit.

tensions in the region

China, Taiwan and some of the union’s member states – Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – have been locked in an increasingly tense territorial standoff in the South China Sea, where most of world trade takes place, for decades.

China has worried many countries in the Asia-Pacific region after releasing a new official map claiming most of the South China Sea and disputed parts of India and Russia.

Most governments that dispute Chinese claims to the South China Sea are members of ASEAN. India, in turn, will host the G20 summit this weekend, which Trudeau is expected to attend.

Earlier Wednesday, Canada’s prime minister held private meetings with leaders of Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia on the sidelines of the summit.

Trudeau used his bilateral meeting with Philippine President Fernandez Marcos Jr. to invite the head of state to visit Canada next year. The Presidential Communications Service states that Mr. Marcos will be in Canada to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

During Trudeau’s meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the leaders separately discussed their commitment to upholding the rules-based international order and to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, according to a report from the prime minister’s office of the minister.

Justin Trudeau has also expressed his interest to ASEAN leaders in Canada participating in the 18-nation East Asia Summit and ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, which strengthens security and defense cooperation for peace, stability and development.

Focus on food insecurity

Canada has also released a joint statement with the ten ASEAN countries outlining their commitment to addressing food insecurity.

This is part of the Canadian government’s commitment to invest in green infrastructure and supply chain resilience, particularly the food supply, in the Indo-Pacific region.

Speaking at the ASEAN Summit, Trudeau said Canada is focused on investing in renewable energy, sustainable energy and water projects in the region.

Prime Minister Trudeau also touted Canada as a reliable supplier of natural resources such as fertilizers and essential minerals and said Canada has the clean energy the world needs to support the green energy transition.

The Prime Minister was well received at this summit; The South Korean President called Mr Trudeau a close friend and someone he is always happy to meet.

In the evening, Mr Trudeau was due to have dinner with the Indonesian President before flying to Singapore on Thursday and to the G20 summit in New Delhi later in the week.