The committee studied Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy and security in the western Balkans, hearing from five witnesses: Stéphanie Martel, Dominique Caouette, Jasmin Mujanović, Maria Popova, and Jo-Anne Bishop.
Stéphanie Martel argued the Indo-Pacific strategy has made progress but needs a more flexible, granular approach, particularly in distinguishing facts from noise in relations with China. She recommended maintaining support for women, peace and security initiatives and leveraging higher education, such as scholarships and expert networks, to build expertise and people-to-people ties, rather than relying on oversimplified country labels.
Dominique Caouette agreed the strategy requires evolution and some reinvention, especially toward China and India, and stressed the need for consistency to avoid perceptions of contradiction, notably on immigration and environmental policies. He recommended establishing an Indo-Pacific research centre within Global Affairs Canada, supporting reciprocal researcher exchanges, and engaging diaspora communities to deepen regional understanding.
Jasmin Mujanović warned that security in the western Balkans is deteriorating due to revanchist ambitions in Serbia and Croatia, Russian and Chinese influence, and international indifference. He recommended Canada re-establish diplomatic missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro, coordinate sanctions with allies, and pursue energy and defence industry partnerships, noting that U.S. sanctions relief for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has weakened deterrence.
Maria Popova identified three threats to Balkan NATO members: kinetic spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine, persistent Russian hybrid warfare, and domestic political instability fuelled by corruption and distrust. She noted that Romania’s judiciary proactively countered Russian disinformation in elections, while Bulgaria’s new government has become more vulnerable to Russian influence, and urged Canada to avoid treating all Balkan states as uniformly fragile.
Jo-Anne Bishop emphasized that unresolved transitional justice, violence against women, and women’s exclusion from decision-making undermine long-term stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She called for sustained, multi-year funding for women, peace and security programs, such as Canada’s contributions to the UN Peacebuilding Fund, and warned that shrinking global aid budgets threaten local women’s organizations and peacebuilding efforts.
The committee also heard from members, including a discussion on the need for targeted policies and the value of Canada hosting the APEC summit in 2029, though no procedural debate or votes occurred during this meeting.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.