Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

20th Asian Security Conference Korea-Canada Defense Ministers’ Meeting

On the afternoon of June 3 (Saturday), Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup had a bilateral meeting with Canadian Minister of National Defense Anita Anand, during the 20th Asian Security Conference, also known as Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. They exchanged views on security situations and discussed ways to develop bilateral defense cooperation.

Minister Lee expressed appreciation for Canada’s active role and support for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Minister Anand stressed Korea’s strategic importance as a state in the northern Pacific and expressed an intention to make an active contribution to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The two ministers assessed that the two countries have closely cooperated on defense and security issues such as implementing sanctions against North Korea and the missions of the United Nations Command. Furthermore, they agreed on efforts to expand cooperation in various areas, including the defense industry.

The two ministers shared schedules for this year, including for the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) to be held in the second half of this year in Korea, ROK-UNC Member States Defense Ministerial Meeting in Korea, and Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. Following this discussion, they agreed to maintain the momentum of high-level defense exchanges.