Japan, Canada boost ties with economic security dialogue

Japan and Canada on Friday agreed to launch a dialogue on economic security and set up a consultative body on cyber policies to ensure closer collaboration in the field, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

Takaichi made the remarks during a joint press event in Tokyo following a meeting with her Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

"We will seize every opportunity to advance concrete cooperation, including in cutting-edge technology fields such as AI and quantum technologies, as well as efforts to make critical mineral supply chains more resilient," Takaichi said.

According to a statement from Canada's prime minister's office, the two leaders reaffirmed their bilateral relationship dating back to 1928, with nearly $40 billion in annual trade between the two countries.

Both leaders agreed to "expand military cooperation, collaborate on defense procurement -- including dual-use technologies -- and work together on frontier technologies, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, aerospace, and space communications," the statement said.

They discussed three bilateral Memorandums of Cooperation to strengthen cooperation in the fields of crisis response, enforcement against illegal fishing, and coordination between the Canadian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard.

The prime ministers also underscored the potential for expanded trade and cooperation on energy projects, including LNG, LPG, nuclear technologies, hydrogen, and carbon capture, the statement added.