TOKYO, March 6, 2026 /CNW/ - We, the Prime Ministers of Canada and Japan, meet today to deepen the close and enduring partnership between our two countries. We recognise that bilateral relations between Canada and Japan are underpinned by shared values and principles such as respect for democracy and the rule of law, strong political and economic ties, and rich people-to-people and cultural links. We emphasise the importance of further strengthening these ties, focusing notably on our shared commitment to the fundamental values of multilateralism centred on the United Nations (UN), a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law, support for rules-based trade, and the expansion of our trade and investment partnership, including through the Japan-Canada Chambers Council, a Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan, as well as a Keidanren return visit to Canada. We welcome the deepening of our defence and security cooperation in recent months, through the entry into force of the Security of Information Agreement and the signing of the defence Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement. We also welcome the signing of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, which will contribute to further strengthening cooperation in the field of criminal justice. We also celebrate our track record of collaboration in various international forums, including the G7.
The international community stands at a turning point in history. Amidst a changing regional security environment, we renew our commitment to working together to address key challenges and pursue shared strategic interests. We underscore the need for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, or to take any other action contrary to international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. We reiterate that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award is final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute. We encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through constructive dialogue. We are deeply concerned that North Korea has reiterated its intent to expand its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. We share serious concerns over North Korea's malicious cyber activities, including cryptocurrency thefts, and its increasing military cooperation with Russia, and underscore the need to address these challenges together. We urge North Korea to resolve the abductions issue immediately. We remain in close communication about the situation in the Middle East. We are committed to a just, lasting and sustainable peace based on a two-state solution. With regard to Ukraine, we reaffirm the inviolable principle of sovereignty, and are determined to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Canada-Japan bilateral relations shape and are shaped by the evolving geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. To protect our joint interests, we must adapt our relationship in the face of new challenges and opportunities. In this context, we announce the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and reiterate our shared determination to bring sustained energy, ambition, and depth to the relationship through enhanced interactions at all levels, including through regular mutual visits between leaders and ministers. With a view to giving practical application to our elevated partnership, we also establish a new Canada-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Roadmap, which will provide concrete direction for our future cooperation, on a renewed set of shared priorities, namely:
(1) Enhanced Security and Defence Cooperation;
(2) Economic Security, Supply Chains, and Technological Resilience;
(3) Trade and Investment;
(4) Energy Security and Food Security;
(5) Arctic, Environment and Climate Cooperation; and
(6) People‑to‑People, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges.
As part of this renewed cooperation, we are determined to build upon the framework provided by the Canada-Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, Security of Information Agreement, and defence Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement. In this spirit, we will explore further opportunities to enable increasingly complex engagement between our respective forces.
Additionally, we will seek to further strengthen our multilayered security partnership by addressing the growing threats in cyberspace. To this end, we instruct our respective officials to establish a bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue to facilitate discussions amongst relevant ministries and agencies of both countries.
Recognising the importance of accelerating cooperation amidst an international economic environment that is rapidly changing, Canada and Japan are uniquely positioned to grow prosperity for our citizens by leveraging our respective economic strengths in strategic sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and food security. Our ability to build upon these opportunities and deepen our successful commercial relations is based on a partnership anchored in mutual trust and respect. To ensure our future success, we also commit to strengthening our economic security coordination and economic resilience, while acknowledging the imperative of ongoing collaboration in the face of technological innovation, evolving security challenges, growing pressures on supply chains, and challenges to maritime governance. To this end, we instruct our respective officials to launch a new bilateral Economic Security Dialogue, with a first meeting to be held this calendar year.
Leveraging the significant progress achieved under the Shared Canada-Japan priorities announced in 2021 and the subsequent Canada-Japan Action Plan for contributing to a free and open Indo‑Pacific region in 2022, we believe the new Comprehensive Strategic Roadmap will serve as an effective guide for ongoing collaboration, enhancing our joint resilience in the face of new challenges and opportunities. We direct our foreign ministers to coordinate across our respective ministries and agencies, and to oversee work under the Roadmap going forward.
As we approach the centennial of bilateral relations in 2028, we will continue to work closely toward this historic milestone and a new chapter in our enduring relationship.
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SOURCE Prime Minister's Office
PMO Media Relations: [email protected]
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