Canada wants to work with Indonesia to build stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region, Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia, Nadia Burger, has said.
“The region is very important to Canada. This is very important to us and we want to put a lot of emphasis and priority on this. Obviously, in terms of defense and security issues, we want to work together for peace and stability in the region,” she said in a special interview with ANTARA here on Tuesday.
According to Ambassador Burger, the Canadian government considers the Indo-Pacific region very important andcapable of influencingthe country’s interests, including in terms of economic interest.
“Indo-Pacific region and the countries in the region, including Indonesia, have important impact on Canadian interest, (including) on our economy, so we need to be present and engaged with all countries in the region,” she explained.
As a Pacific nation, Canada recognizes that the Indo-Pacific region will play a significant and profound role in Canada’s future.
Every issue that matters to Canadians—national security, economic prosperity, respect for international law and human rights, democratic values, public health, and environmental protection—will be shaped by the relationships that Canada, along with its partners, has with countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly, said in a statement in November.
Therefore, Canada recently launched the Indo-Pacific Strategy to support long-term growth, prosperity, and security for Canadians.
“This is a very important strategy…especially in terms of our engagement in the Indo-Pacific region in the long term,” Burger said.
The strategy provides a comprehensive road map to deepen Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific over the next decade, increase its contributions to regional peace and security, strengthen economic growth and resilience, enhance significant people-to-people ties, and support sustainable development across the region.
Given the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, Ambassador Burger said that Canada will incorporate values, such as respect for the rule of law and a rules-based international system, in the country’s engagement in the region.
“We have value that apply on this engagement. The importance of the rule of law and rules-based international system, which really has been our source of prosperity here in the region and globally,” she said.
To that end, Canada will engage in efforts to promote and protect those values in relations with all countries in the region, she added.
“We will engage in promoting and protecting these values with all countries in the region,” Burger stated.
“The rule of law and the international system, these are important values that must be followed by countries in the (Indo-Pacific) region to create peace and stability,” she added.
Source : Antara News
