President Lee Holds Phone Talks with Canadian Prime Minister... Discusses Freedom of Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Energy Supply Cooperation

Strengthening Strategic Cooperation in Security, Energy, and High-Tech Industries
Leaders Hold Talks Ahead of June Announcement for Canada’s 60 Trillion Won Submarine Project

On May 8, President Lee Jaemyung held a phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss ways to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation.

Yonhap News Agency

Kang Yoojeong, Senior Presidential Spokesperson, stated that the two leaders positively assessed the smooth implementation of follow-up measures from the Korea-Canada summit held last October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.

The leaders noted that the relationship between the two countries is expanding beyond security cooperation to encompass various fields such as the economy, energy, high-tech industries, and culture. They agreed to further deepen strategic cooperation based on this trend.

In particular, President Lee stated, "Canada is a key ally for Korea, and given the current complexities of the international order and the instability of global energy supply chains, I hope that Korea and Canada will further strengthen cooperation in diverse areas such as security, economy, energy, critical minerals, and high-tech industries."

In response, Prime Minister Carney expressed his agreement with President Lee's remarks and emphasized the importance of middle-power countries like Canada and Korea reinforcing their solidarity through more pragmatic approaches.

The leaders also concurred on the need for closer cooperation between the two countries in international efforts for the peaceful resolution of the situation in the Middle East, guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring stable energy supplies.

Additionally, the two leaders agreed to maintain frequent communication and actively develop bilateral relations. They also decided to accelerate consultations at all levels to achieve concrete and tangible results in various fields moving forward.

This phone call between the leaders took place as Korea has entered the bidding for Canada's submarine procurement project (CPSP), which is valued at approximately 60 trillion won. With both leaders expressing their commitment to "achieving substantive results" following the APEC meeting, there is growing attention on whether cooperation on the submarine project will gain momentum.

The CPSP is a large-scale project to build up to 12 diesel-powered submarines. A consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, as well as Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), have been shortlisted, with the final announcement scheduled for June.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.