Hello, everyone. Thank you all for being here. I’d like to start by thanking President Đại Quang and his team for hosting this year’s summit and their warm welcome. It’s a pleasure to be back in Vietnam.

This summit was a chance for Canada and its partners to take stock of the progress we’ve made since our last meeting and talk about how we can improve and work together to deepen our cooperation and help the lives of the people we represent. 

Our discussion began with a sharp focus on trade. This summit was an excellent opportunity for Canada to reiterate its commitment to a strengthened economic partnership with Asia-Pacific nations, one that is of course rooted in mutual respect and open dialogue. This past year, Asia-Pacific has further cemented its position as the fastest-growing region in the world, and we believe that a stronger relationship will unlock the untapped potential in our countries’ commercial ties and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses.

That being said, we know that lowered trade barriers and open markets are not enough to ensure that the benefits of growth are felt by all our citizens. Canada’s commitment to open and progressive trade, both at home and abroad, has been unwavering since the beginning of my mandate. My government will continue to demonstrate leadership on this front and advocate for Canadian interests, especially as we continue our discussions on the comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.

We are pleased with the progress we’ve made to establish a framework for a new TPP during our time at APEC, but there’s still more important work to be done to ensure that we reach the best deal for Canada and for Canadians. We know that, done right, trade deals can be great news for middle-class families and entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our goal is to reach a progressive agreement with our partners that benefits all our citizens, and that is in line with our values. With that in mind, we will continue our work on the TPP and take the time it takes to negotiate a deal that works for all Canadians.

Finally, we reiterated our mutual commitment to tackling the most urgent problems facing us, notably those caused by climate change. We talked about the need to encourage sustainable economic growth that benefits all our citizens. While we work to strengthen our economic partnership with other countries, Canada remains committed to doing more to fight climate change and to maintain momentum around the world.

Overall, we’ve had a very productive time here in Vietnam, and we look forward to continued partnership within the APEC framework. I have no doubt that together we can grow our economies in a way that works for everyone for generations to come.