PM Lee welcomes Canada’s application to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (May 31) welcomed Canada’s application to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) during a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada’s application to join DEPA would further strengthen digital cooperation and connectivity between the economies, said a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 

The DEPA is the first Digital Economy Agreement concluded by Singapore. It was signed by Singapore, Chile and New Zealand in June 2020.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the DEPA establishes new approaches and collaborations in digital trade issues, promotes interoperability between different regimes and addresses new issues brought about by digitalisation.

During the telephone call, the prime ministers reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relationship between both countries, which spans areas from the economy, infrastructure and smart cities to cybersecurity.

Both leaders discussed Canada’s growing engagement of the Asia-Pacific region as well as international and regional developments, including the situation in Ukraine. 

They also reaffirmed the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, the spokesperson added.