Chile and Canada agree to work on renewal of strategic partnership agreement

The Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente, headed today the XII Meeting of Political Consultations between Chile and Canada, together with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country, David Morrison.

At the meeting, held at the local Foreign Affairs Ministry headquarters in Ottawa, they reviewed the main aspects of the bilateral relationship. Both nations have a history of friendship and closeness dating back to 1941, when diplomatic relations were established.

The ties between the two countries are governed by the Strategic Partnership Framework Agreement signed in 2007 and renewed in 2013. Precisely today they agreed to work on the modernization of this partnership. "We believe it is fundamental to be able to move forward in strengthening brotherly, friendly countries that have values in common," explained the undersecretary.

In addition, they highlighted collaboration in regional and global initiatives, especially in multilateral forums. In this regard, the undersecretary highlighted the active role of both countries in the promotion of human rights and environmental protection.

They also highlighted the initiatives undertaken to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and women's empowerment, a distinctive element in both foreign policies. In this regard, the Chilean Vice Minister emphasized that since June 12th Chile has had a feminist foreign policy, which seeks to establish the principle of gender equality as a guiding principle in the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On economic and trade issues, it was emphasized that Canada is currently the main individual investor in Chile, with approximately US$33.21 billion. They also referred to the international aspect of Chile's national lithium strategy, as well as the joint work that has been carried out to promote inclusive trade, seeking the effective integration of women in international trade, the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, the promotion of a human rights-based approach to business and responsible business conduct. Both parties agreed on the principle of ensuring that the benefits of trade are distributed equitably throughout society.

They also expressed their intentions to move forward with a Memorandum of Understanding on forest fires. It should be noted that Chile recently sent a team of 62 brigadiers to Canada to combat the fires that affected the North American country.

Both Undersecretary Gloria de la Fuente and Vice Minister Morrison expressed their satisfaction with the results of the political consultations, which will contribute to further strengthening the close bilateral relationship.

Check the joint declaration.