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[Press Release] Canada-ASEAN Business Council Convenes Senior Leaders for Executive Dialogue on the Margins of Canada's Investment Summit

21 hours ago
3 min read


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Toronto, Ontario - September 15, 2026 - The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) hosted its Executive Dialogue and Reception on September 14, 2026, on the margins of Canada's Investment Summit, bringing together senior government leaders, institutional investors, and business executives from Canada and Southeast Asia to advance the two-way investment relationship. Held under the theme "Building the Canada-ASEAN Investment Corridor: Advancing Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Growth," the invitation-only Executive Dialogue ran from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., followed by a networking reception from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. attended by invited guests from government, institutional investment, and industry. The event featured remarks and participation from senior officials, including:

  • The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry, Government of Canada

  • The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, Government of Canada

  • H.E. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Government of Indonesia

  • H.E. Dato Dr. Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister of Finance II, Government of Brunei


Their participation, alongside representatives from ASEAN sovereign wealth funds and investment agencies, Canadian pension funds and institutional investors, ASEAN Ambassadors and High Commissioners, and officials from Global Affairs Canada, Invest in Canada, and Export Development Canada, underscored the growing strategic importance of the Canada-ASEAN economic relationship. Background

As global supply chains evolve and governments seek to diversify trade and investment partnerships, ASEAN has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic economic regions and an increasingly important strategic partner for Canada. Home to more than 700 million people and projected to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030, ASEAN presents significant opportunities for Canadian businesses, investors, and governments.

As ASEAN’s first and only accredited Canadian business organization, CABC convened this dialogue to strengthen commercial relationships and identify practical opportunities for collaboration across priority sectors including critical minerals, energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, infrastructure, agri-food, and financial services.

The Executive Dialogue took place immediately following the Milken Institute's inaugural Canadian conference, creating a seamless continuum of programming for senior leaders in Toronto for Summit week. Discussion Highlights

The moderated dialogue brought ministers, CEOs, institutional investors, and senior policymakers together to discuss shared investment priorities, with a focus on:

  • Strengthening the Canada-ASEAN investment corridor

  • Advancing implementation of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy through enhanced public-private collaboration

  • Identifying actionable opportunities for long-term economic cooperation between Canada and ASEAN


"Bringing this many decision-makers from Canada and ASEAN into one room, on the margins of the Investment Summit, is exactly the kind of practical convening CABC exists to do. What happened yesterday wasn't just dialogue — it was the start of real partnerships and deals that will strengthen the Canada-ASEAN investment corridor for years to come," said Meghan Pritchard, Executive Director of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council.

Next Steps

CABC will produce a post-event summary identifying key recommendations and opportunities to strengthen the Canada-ASEAN investment relationship, and will continue to build on yesterday's dialogue through future executive engagements, trade missions, and sector-specific initiatives throughout the year.

Media Contact: Andrea Rayi (Ms.)

Assistant Manager, Communications & Outreach Canada-ASEAN Business Council M. +62 85883002030 E. andrea.rayi@canasean.com


About the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC)


Established in 2012, the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) is the pre-eminent organization with an ASEAN region-wide mandate to promote and increase trade relations between Canada and ASEAN headquartered in Singapore with a representative office in Montreal, Canada. The CABC was founded in 2012 by Canadian private sector companies operating in ASEAN, at the request of Canada’s Minister of International Trade through Global Affairs Canada, at the first ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)-Canada Consultation in Cambodia.


As the voice of the Canadian private sector in ASEAN, the CABC represents the interests of over 70 leading businesses and organizations, demonstrating the diverse strengths of Canadian businesses and the range of commercial opportunities available in the region. To foster stronger Canada-ASEAN business and investment ties through policy advocacy, networking events, and research initiatives.





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