The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy announced in the evening of Monday 16 May that the EU and Canada, which are already close partners, want to further strengthen their relationship.
“We have a strategic partnership agreement, a very comprehensive and advanced cooperation framework. (...) But we want to work even more closely together. On what? On food security, energy, civil protection, the fight against disinformation and, of course, on key foreign policy issues, starting with the war in Ukraine, where our unity is our best asset”, the High Representative summarised.
According to Canadian Minister Mélanie Joly, Canada is “one of the most European countries in the world”.
The latest report on the state of relations demonstrates “the depth and breadth of cooperation”, said a joint EU-Canada statement issued at the end of the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting.
Five years after the provisional application of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, the Ministerial Committee discussed ways to further deepen it.
In their statement, the Europeans and Canadians underlined the potential for increased cooperation on security and defence issues and crisis management. They announced Canada’s intention to seek an administrative arrangement with the EU on civil protection. They also reaffirmed the importance of strengthening and deepening the EU-NATO partnership.
For the EU and Canada, it is also important to cooperate in the areas of freedom, security and justice.
They also pledged to step up their efforts to promote trade and investment in green goods and services.
Finally, the Joint Ministerial Committee welcomed the deepening cooperation in the field of science, technology, research and innovation and the preparations for the negotiations on Canada’s potential association with Horizon Europe.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/1nw (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)