Canada's Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, emphasized the nation's "middle power strategy" during the U.N. General Assembly, highlighting Canada's growing role as a leader among middle powers—nations that are not the world's largest or most powerful but still play a significant role in global affairs. Anand stated that the U.N. meeting could be a turning point for advancing this strategy. A day earlier, Canada co-launched a new initiative called "Partners for Multilateralism," aimed at promoting international cooperation similar to that of the United Nations. This group is meant to support countries that advocate for multilateral solutions to global issues. Canada has long been a key player in the U.N., serving as a founding member and contributing to global decision-making, humanitarian efforts, and peacekeeping missions. The country has been elected to the influential U.N. Security Council six times since the 1950s. This year, Canada's international presence has taken on new momentum. Prime Minister Mark Carney made headlines in January by stating that countries like Canada could no longer afford to rely on wishful thinking about the international system and must act collectively. Nine months later, Anand noted that Canada is seeing the results of this strategy, which focuses on strengthening international collaboration and asserting Canada's role in global affairs. Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in January warned that rising geopolitical tensions were creating "a rupture in the world order," and that middle powers must act together or risk being sidelined. This message was put into practice when Carney allowed trade talks with the U.S. to collapse last month, refusing to accept terms he deemed unacceptable, particularly in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial trade policies. Carney, who previously led Canada's central bank, has set a goal to double Canada's trade with non-U.S. countries within a decade. He has also been working to deepen trade relationships with the European Union and is seeking free-trade agreements with countries like India by the end of the year. Canada's strategic goals—spanning trade, transatlantic security, Arctic defense, and support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia—are not new, but they are now being focused through the lens of the "middle power strategy." Anand said this approach is helping to bring like-minded countries together to address global challenges. "We are all seeing the geopolitical shifts in the global environment," she said. Anand will deliver Canada's main address at the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, focusing on implementing the middle power strategy. She described Canada's foreign policy as "principled pragmatism," balancing strong values with practical diplomacy. In his address to the assembly, Trump did not mention Canada, instead highlighting the U.S.'s economic, military, and technological strength. He praised international investments in the U.S., calling it "the hottest country anywhere in the world."