President Lee Holds Call With Canadian Prime Minister, Says Key Ally Cooperation on Security and Advanced Industries

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[Financial News] President Lee Jae Myung held a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the 8th. The call came as the government stepped up efforts to support a bid for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), worth up to 60 trillion won. Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are competing in the final round against Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).
\r\nAccording to Kang Yoo-jung, Chief Presidential Spokesperson, the two leaders assessed that follow-up measures to the Korea-Canada Summit held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju last October are being implemented smoothly. At the time, the two leaders held in-depth discussions on areas of mutual interest, including security and defense, economic security, energy supply chains, artificial intelligence (AI), critical minerals, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
\r\nDuring the call, they also agreed to further deepen strategic cooperation based on the fact that bilateral ties are expanding beyond security cooperation into multiple areas, including the economy, energy, advanced industries, and culture.
President Lee said, "For Korea, Canada is a key ally, and in a time of growing complexity in the international order and instability in global energy supply chains, I hope Korea and Canada will further strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including security, the economy, energy, critical minerals, and advanced industries." Prime Minister Carney expressed agreement with Lee's remarks and said, "It is important for middle powers such as Canada and Korea to strengthen solidarity through a more pragmatic approach," Kang said.
They also shared the view that the two countries should work closely together on a peaceful resolution to the situation in the Middle East, ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and securing a stable energy supply.
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cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter