TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi is encouraging the strengthening of cooperation in the field of food security between ASEAN and Canada.
She said that food security remains a pressing global and regional challenge, according to a written statement from her ministry on Friday, July 27.
During a meeting of ASEAN and Canada’s foreign ministers in Vientiane, Laos, on the same day, she emphasized the importance of close cooperation between countries to ensure food availability, accessibility, and affordability.
Minister Retno underscored that Canada is an important partner for ASEAN in building the region’s food security.
On that occasion, she conveyed that Indonesia hoped for concrete and prompt implementation of food security cooperation between ASEAN and Canada.
Leaders of ASEAN and Canada earlier agreed on the ASEAN-Canada Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises during Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2023.
Retno explained that the cooperation could be implemented by establishing an ASEAN-Canada mechanism to ensure various agricultural needs, such as fertilizers during a crisis, or by cooperating on agricultural technology to improve the sustainability and resilience of the agricultural system.
Speaking about the issues of women, peace, and security, she called on Canada to support the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators (SEAWPM), a mechanism for female negotiators and mediators in Southeast Asia.
The Indonesian minister lauded Canada for reactivating its humanitarian assistance to Palestine through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
She also invited Canada, represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joy at the meeting, to immediately recognize the state of Palestine and support its full membership in the UN.
Retno emphasized that this step is crucial to advancing the two-state solution process.
Last year, ASEAN and Canada elevated their collaboration to the level of strategic partnership.
Indonesia welcomed the increase in the partnership status and assessed that Canada’s strategy regarding the Indo-Pacific region has been translated concretely into cooperation with the region.
Indonesia also welcomes the ASEAN-Canada Summit that will be held in October.
ANTARA
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