(Belgian) Canada, with the support of the United States, will ask to join the Economic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced Thursday.
In a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Mélanie Joly said the two countries aim to “further harmonize their approaches” in the Indo-Pacific region. “In order to strengthen economic cooperation in the region, I am pleased to announce that Canada will apply to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, commonly known as the IPEF,” added the minister. The Biden administration launched this new business partnership this year to strengthen its presence in a region that felt neglected under President Donald Trump. As part of his isolationist “America first” policy, Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Asia-centered trade deal, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), of which Canada is a part. A decision that had been criticized for ceding ground to China in an economically crucial region of the world. For his part, Antony Blinken said that the United States “will support Canada, a Pacific nation, by adhering to this framework” and that in the coming months it will consult with other members on Canada’s request. The first IPEF meetings were held in Los Angeles in September, bringing together the United States, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. After two days of negotiations, member countries approved a joint declaration pledging to collaborate in four areas: trade (in particular the digital economy), supply chains (damaged by the Covid-19 pandemic), green energy and the fight against corruption. (Belgian)
