DAV Students Attends Dialogue on Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy

The exchange was attended by Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Shawn Steil, Charge d'Affaires of the Canadian Delegation to ASEAN Vicky Singmin, Canadian Institute of Global Affairs’ scholar Dr. Stephen Nagy, as well as more than 100 Diplomatic Academy students. .

Launched in November 2022, Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy represents Ottawa's new direction, placing greater emphasis on its commitment to the region.

In his presentation, Dr. Stephen Nagy addresses Canada's perspective on the Indo-Pacific region as well as the fundamental elements of Ottawa's strategy towards. In addition, Ambassador Shawn Steil and Charge d'Affaires Vicky Singmin provided further information about the importance of Vietnam and the ASEAN in Canadian policy.

The speakers also emphasized that, as a middle power with limited potential, Canada wants to promote cooperation with other middle powers in the region, thereby affirming its own identity as well as avoiding the possibility of being “stuck” between two major countries. Under that principle, Canada supports the central role of ASEAN in the region and considers Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia as its most important partners in implementing the strategy.

Following the speakers' presentations, the DAV students posed a number of questions to Canadian officials and expert about practical cooperation initiatives that Ottawa wishes to implent, how Canada balances its investment in institutions in and outside ASEAN scope, and how Canda navigate the risks associated with strategic competition while increasing its regional military presence.

Watch the video of the exchange here

Written by Viet Ha Hoang; Translated by HD; Photo by Lan Huong