Global Courant 2023-05-16 08:30:00
SEOUL — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will arrive in South Korea on Tuesday for a summit with President Yoon Suk-yeol as the two countries look to strengthen cooperation on security and critical minerals used in batteries.
Mr. Yoon and Mr. Trudeau will hold a summit and joint press conference on Wednesday, followed by an official dinner, Mr. Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, said.
Trudeau’s visit, the first in nine years by a Canadian leader, marks the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations, and both sides will issue a joint statement charting their partnership for the next 60 years, Kim said.
The two United States allies have been exploring ways to deepen cooperation on critical minerals used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries and intensify information sharing.
“The two leaders will engage in intensive discussions on ways to build a norms-based global order, including on North Korea’s human rights issues, initiate high-level economic and security dialogue, and strengthen cooperation on key minerals,” he said. Kim to reporters.
Mr Yoon and Mr Trudeau will sign an agreement on key mineral supply chains, clean energy conversion and cooperation on energy security, a South Korean government official told Reuters, asking for anonymity because the deal was pending .
Canada has been trying to scale up production of EVs, with ample mineral reserves, including lithium, cobalt and nickel, used to make batteries for those vehicles.
The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on mineral supply chains when they met last September as part of efforts to reduce emissions to combat climate change.
Canada and South Korea have also sought to intensify security cooperation, including intelligence sharing, while dealing with a growing rivalry between the United States and China.
Diplomatic tensions between Canada and China have escalated since the 2018 detention of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou and Beijing’s subsequent arrest of two Canadians on espionage charges.
Last week, China expelled a Canadian diplomat in Shanghai after Ottawa ordered a Toronto-based Chinese diplomat to leave.
Yoon is wary of China, South Korea’s largest trading partner, but he has been more vocal about tension in the Taiwan Strait.
In April, Seoul and Beijing exchanged harsh words over Mr. Yoon’s comments in an interview with Reuters. REUTERS
