HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Nov 23, 2013) - The Honourable Robert Nicholson, Canada's Minister of National Defence, and Rodrigo Hinzpeter, Chile's Minister of National Defence, met today in Halifax on the margins of the Halifax International Security Forum.

The Ministers took stock of the steady growth in defence ties since the signing last year of the Canada-Chile Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation. Exchanges, joint exercises, military training cooperation, high level visits, and regular staff talks, attest to the dynamic defence relationship between our countries.

The Ministers noted with a particular interest and satisfaction their successful collaboration in Central America and reiterated their commitment to further joint capacity building initiatives in the region. The Ministers issued the following statement on their meeting:

"Canada and Chile share a common vision for the Americas, one where our countries and peoples can peacefully live in a prosperous, secure and democratic hemisphere. Anchored in common values, our relationship is broad, well-established, multifaceted and growing to our mutual benefit.

"Building on 70 years of diplomatic ties and a solid defence relationship, Canada and Chile recently joined efforts to help enhance the capacity of Central American armed forces, which have to deal with alarming levels of violence and transnational organized crime. Canada's Department of National Defence is sponsoring pilot training for Guatemalan students at the Caribbean Military Aviation School in Jamaica, while Chile's armed forces provide instructors to the school for support and mentoring in Spanish. This type of creative thinking is a tangible example of how we can leverage our respective strengths to improve security in our hemisphere.

"Both our countries are concerned with the security situation in Central America and the Caribbean. Recognizing that transnational threats require transnational responses, we are committed to maintaining the momentum and continuing to work together to address hemispheric challenges. In this regard, we will continue to explore future opportunities to cooperate in building the capacity, including naval and aerial, of the Guatemalan military."