Jakarta. The Canada-Indonesia Parliamentary Friendship Group or the CIPFG is now live again.

The group held its annual general meeting in Ottawa on Monday.

The CIPFG is an interparty forum at the Canadian parliament aimed at boosting ties with Indonesia's through parliamentary diplomacy. Indonesia's House of Representatives also has a similar mechanism known as GKSB.

The meeting appointed two co-chairs Senator Clement Gignac and Sameer Zuberi MP who will lead the group for the next two years. 

Two other co-vice chairs and four executive members were also selected.

This group is expected to back the bilateral cooperation be it in the economic, defense, political fields, as well as people-to-people relations.

Indonesian Ambassador to Canada Muhsin Syihab welcomed the Canadian parliament's decision to reactivate the CIPFG. 

"The parliamentary friendship group is crucial for cooperation between our two countries and for establishing a partnership that is not only strong but also future-oriented," Muhsin said.

The elected co-chairs view Indonesia as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region.

The group also zeroed in on the upcoming Indonesia-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The pact's ratification process has reached its final stages and is expected to be fully completed in May 2026 Canada also expects the ratification process in Indonesia to be completed soon.

Formed in 2009, the group had been inactive since 2022. It was also no longer listed on the Canadian parliament website.

 The reactivation of the CIPFG also represents a strategic step ahead of the 75th anniversary of Indonesia-Canada diplomatic relations in 2027, providing momentum to expand collaboration that will further impact the national interests of both countries.

Going forward, the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa will continue to collaborate with CIPFG to encourage increased strategic policy dialogue, exchange of parliamentary visits, and strengthening cross-sector cooperation.

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