Canada diversifies economic ties to reduce reliance on U.S., minister tells UN

Canada is reducing its economic reliance on the United States by diversifying its ties, including renewed partnerships with China and India, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told the United Nations on Saturday.

Anand said Ottawa "can no longer afford to be overly reliant on any one partner" under a policy of "values-based realism."

"Great powers want the rest of us to accept what we are offered," Anand told the UN.

The speech reflects Prime Minister Mark Carney's government's efforts over the past 18 months to rebuild ties with Beijing and New Delhi after years of diplomatic disputes.

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Anand, echoing Carney's January speech at the World Economic Forum, talked of how to thrive in a "new age of disorder" where "great powers are walking away from global economic co-operation, and dismantling economic integration."

She did not name the U.S. when criticizing great power behaviour, nor discuss the costly trade war between Ottawa and Washington that escalated recently.

"Canadian exports to markets outside North America have significantly increased," Anand told the UN in French.

She said Canada is "diversifying our ties, and building stronger relationships with new and old partners alike, so that our people can enjoy peace and prosperity."

Anand said "values-based realism" means diversifying Canada's ties and working with "trusted partners" on emerging technologies, critical minerals, defence production, and clean and conventional energy.

It also means leading "other middle powers to act collectively and decisively," she said, describing the current moment as "a rupture, not a transition."

The speech named China and India as partners, saying Canada is "building renewed partnerships with large economies like India and China."

It did not mention China's human-rights record or allegations of foreign interference conducted by China and India that dominated former prime minister Justin Trudeau's latter years in office.

Anand noted that Canada has secured more than 20 new economic and defence partnerships in the past year.

She also said this month's Canada Investment Summit produced nearly $500-billion in new financing commitments.

On security, Anand said Canada's commitment to NATO is "ironclad."

She said Canada allocated more than $80-billion to defence in last year's budget, now spends more than 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and is "building toward NATO's 5 per cent pledge by 2035."

She called Iran "the principal threat to peace and security in its region" and pointed to sanctions she announced this week.

On the Middle East, Anand said: "Israel's right to exist is not up for debate. And the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in a state of their own is also not up for debate."

She said Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and noted that Canada said this month it intends to restrict trade in goods from them.

She said Hamas "must play no role in the governance of Palestine."

Anand reaffirmed Canada's support for the International Criminal Court and asked member states to back Canada's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council for 2028 to 2030.

She said Canada will favour "issue-based coalitions" of countries and is working with more than 30 countries in the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine.

Anand said she will co-host a conference in Toronto next week with Norway and Ukraine on the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war.

"Though some would build higher walls and retreat from international engagement, we believe that long-term partnerships are the way to prosperity and security," Anand said.

With files from The Globe and Mail