Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on First U.S.-Canada Indo-Pacific Dialogue

The United States and Canada held their first Indo-Pacific Dialogue on Friday, March 10. Led by Dr. Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, and Jody Thomas, National Security and Intelligence Adviser to the Prime Minister, participants discussed key trends shaping the region and identified new areas of economic, security, development, and technology cooperation, and exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities facing the regional architecture. Participants also shared our intent to expand engagement in Southeast Asia and redouble our support for ASEAN centrality, bolster Pacific regionalism through support for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and coordination through Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), and to promote security and prosperity in South Asia. Participants reaffirmed our shared commitment to a free and open region and committed to implement our respective Indo-Pacific Strategies in close coordination and to meet again soon.