We are pleased today to welcome the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, here in Ottawa today. Japan is a partner, ally and friend of Canada. It is great to be working together to advance some of our shared priorities, such as economic growth and the creation of good jobs for the middle class, and peace and security in the Pacific region and around the world.

Trade and economic relations between Canada and Japan continue to expand. As of October, exports to Japan were up 27% and imports from Japan were up 11%. Prime Minister Kishida and I are both committed to continue to deepen our economic relationship. That’s why Canada will be organizing a Team Canada trade mission to Japan in October 2023. The goals are to expand trade, strengthen our supply chains, and build a sustainable future. These are key elements of Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy. The trade mission will focus on economic security areas such as energy, food, critical minerals, and advanced technologies.

Japan is the third largest economy in the world. For example, if you’re a small business owner in the technology industry in Toronto or a pork producer in Saskatchewan or in Quebec, more trade with Japan means the ability to sell more of your products and services. It means you can hire more workers and raise their salaries. More trade also means opening our doors to Japanese companies who want to establish a presence here and hire Canadian talent. That’s what growing our trading relationships and diversifying our markets is all about.

This spring, we’re also looking forward to hosting an important business delegation from Japan. They’re planning to be meeting with Canadian battery and mining companies and potential partners. Canada, of course, has a lot to offer. We’re a reliable and stable partner. We have critical and valuable resources, and we have a skilled, educated, and ambitious workforce. We have everything needed to drive the solutions a net zero world will need.

Prime Minister Kishida and I, we also talked about security issues in the region and elsewhere in the world. We will continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s brutal invasion, and I want to thank Japan for its leadership on this. And we will continue to promote and protect international rules-based order.

A free and open Indo-Pacific region based on the rule of law, this is how we ensure security and stability for our countries, and this is how we can ensure prosperity and good jobs for our people. The world is a tough place right now but it's good to know that we can count on our good and true friends to get through this together. Your leadership as president of the G7 will be extremely important this year as we continue our work on global security and on what we must be doing together to build a sustainable and resilient future, not just in our countries as a G7 but around the world, particularly in the global South.

I’m looking forward to doing this work with you, Fumio San, and especially now that we have a renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific. You can always count on Canada when it comes to defending our shared values and building a better future for our people. Thank you, my dear friend, for your visit.