Milena Rangel, Vice Minister for ASEAN Affairs and Timor-Leste’s Lead Representative at the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), participated in the 23rd ASEAN-Canada Dialogue on June 24th, 2026, held at the ASEAN Secretariat headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the current status of the implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership and discussed priorities to deepen cooperation between the two sides. Representatives from ASEAN member states and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in areas of mutual interest and approved the new Action Plan for the Implementation of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership for 2026–2030, which is scheduled to be formally adopted at the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting in July 2026.
During the meeting, participants also noted the implementation of measures set out in the 2021–2025 Action Plan and discussed priorities for future cooperation across the three pillars of the ASEAN Community. The areas identified include maritime cooperation, combating transnational crime and cybercrime, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, trade and investment, energy, food security, science, technology, and innovation, digital integration, education, tourism, health, disaster management, connectivity, sustainable development, and climate action.
The participants also expressed their hope that negotiations on the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement would conclude later this year, with a view to strengthening economic relations and improving market access for companies on both sides.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including the challenges posed by geopolitical tensions, global energy security, and developments in Myanmar, the South China Sea, and the Middle East.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Phongsavanh Sisoulath, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Laos’ SOM Leader, and Weldon Epp, Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada and Canada’s SOM Leader. Senior representatives from ASEAN Member States and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the Political-Security Community also participated.
Canada has been an ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1977, and 2027 will mark the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-Canada dialogue.