National

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau headed to Laos for ASEAN Summit

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Oct, 2024 10:53 AM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is travelling to Laos today to take part in the ASEAN Summit.

Canada is not a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, but has a strategic partnership with ASEAN and is hoping to conclude a trade deal with the 10-nation bloc by the end of next year.

Canada and Indonesia are also working toward a trade deal that's set to be signed by the end of this year.

The trip marks the first official visit to Laos by a Canadian prime minister and Trudeau is set to meet with leaders from several member nations during the summit.

Together, the ASEAN countries represented Canada's fourth-largest trading partner in 2023 when it comes to merchandise trade.

The summit begins on Thursday and Trudeau is set to travel to Germany on Saturday for a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which will be chaired by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Highway 3 crash kills both drivers

Mounties in southeastern B-C say a head-on crash on Highway 3 has killed the drivers in both vehicles. It happened near the community of Kitchener, northeast of Creston, yesterday afternoon when one vehicle crossed the centre line.

Highway 3 crash kills both drivers

Spike in jobless rate: Stat Can

While Canada’s jobless rate jumped to 6.1 per cent in March, BC gained more jobs. BC and Ontario were the only two provinces to report an increase in jobs last month, with 66-hundred more people employed in this province.

Spike in jobless rate: Stat Can

Police 'deeply concerned' for infant allegedly taken by mother in Langley, B.C.

RCMP say they're "deeply concerned" for the safety of an infant allegedly taken by his mother from a home in Langley, B.C. Police set off an Amber Alert late Thursday after three-month-old Tyler Durocher was allegedly abducted from a home by his mother, 35-year-old Brianne Ford.

Police 'deeply concerned' for infant allegedly taken by mother in Langley, B.C.

177 die in toxic drug deaths

The BC Coroners Service says 177 people died in February due to "toxic, unregulated drugs." The service says at least 175 people have died because of the toxic drug supply in each of the last 20 consecutive months.

177 die in toxic drug deaths

Added protection for cyclists in BC

BC's transportation ministry says it is implementing a new law that will give cyclists and pedestrians added protection on roads. It says the changes, which come into effect on June 3rd, establish a new minimum distance of one metre that drivers must maintain when passing cyclists and other so-called vulnerable road users.

Added protection for cyclists in BC

Canadian missing in aftermath of Taiwan earthquake found safe

Taiwan's Central News Agency says a Canadian missing after this week's powerful earthquake on the island's east coast has been found safe. The partially government-funded news agency, citing information from the Central Emergency Operation Center, says the Canadian man is now camped near a hotel in Taiwan's Taroko National Park.