President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday sought the support and endorsement of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the Philippines’ position in the Group of Seven (G7).

“We look forward to your continuing support and your endorsement of our position in the G7 when you take the chair of G7. So, we look forward to that,” President Marcos said.

The President made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Laos.

At the conclusion of the G7 Summit in Italy on June 14, Trudeau announced that Canada will host the next G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta in 2025.

President Marcos emphasized the Philippine government’s deep gratitude for Canada’s ongoing support, particularly in upholding the rule of law.

“Not only in terms of expressions of support, but also in terms of actual capacity building and making Canada’s presence felt in the Indo-Pacific region, most specifically in South China Sea,” he added.

The President has consistently urged ASEAN member states to uphold the rule of law and maintain a rules-based international order.

President Marcos and Prime Minister Trudeau sat a bilateral meeting where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance the relations of the Philippines and Canada.

“The relationship between Canada and the Philippines has not been closer in our entire history. It started with the people-to-people exchanges and has grown into much more than that,” President Marcos said.

For his part, Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to continue cooperating with the Philippines in all aspects.

“I can’t think of two countries with deeper people-to-people ties in a way we’ve been working together over the past years on bringing them together even more, on growing the economy, and creating opportunities,” Trudeau said.

“We’ve also been working very much on regional security and safety as well, from fishing to military concerns. Kind of things stepping up. And we are happy to do it together in so many different ways,” he added.

“Lots to do. More trade conversations we’ve been have… Talking about Free Trade Agreements and other things that are gonna bring us even closer together. And of course, I look forward to continuing to work with you in the coming years.”

The Philippines and Canada have elevated their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Partnership. | PND