South Korean and Canadian foreign ministers speak by phone, pledging stronger middle-power cooperation
Seoul and Ottawa to coordinate on crude oil, LNG and minerals supply chains; AI to be discussed at November science committee
![Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand greet each other at bilateral talks held on the sidelines of an ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila on July 22. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/07/rcv.YNA.20260722.PYH2026072208320001301_P1.jpg)
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke by phone with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Wednesday and agreed to expand practical cooperation across key future strategic sectors, including defense and the defense industry, energy and critical minerals, and AI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Cho noted Canada's recent moves to deepen strategic cooperation with major regional partners, and said the South Korean government seeks to strengthen issue-by-issue cooperation with reliable and capable middle powers like Canada, grounded in the solid South Korea-US alliance.
The two sides agreed to further expand substantive cooperation in defense and the defense industry, building on the South Korea-Canada Security and Defense Cooperation Partnership.
They also agreed to hold concrete discussions on cooperation in advanced technology, including AI, on the sidelines of the Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, scheduled to convene in Seoul in November.
Stabilizing energy and critical raw materials supply chains also featured on the agenda. The two ministers noted a recent uptick in imports of Canadian crude oil and LNG, and agreed to broaden cooperation to ensure stable energy supply while continuing bilateral and multilateral discussions on building critical minerals supply chains.
Cho said South Korean companies have made large-scale investments in Canada's strategic industries — including batteries and advanced materials — contributing significantly to strengthening Canadian industrial competitiveness. He also asked the Canadian government to provide continued attention and institutional support to ensure Korean firms operating there can invest smoothly and conduct business on a stable footing.
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
