On Wednesday 12 February, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held talks with President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during a visit to Brussels.
At a time when Canada has been under attack from the Trump administration since the new American president took office, the three leaders discussed trade relations between the EU and Canada, notably through CETA, as well as the importance of cooperation in terms of security and international strategy and the future of Canada’s G7 presidency.
“Together, Canada and the EU will continue supporting an inclusive, rules-based multilateral system anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter, and uphold the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders as fundamental tenets of international law”, states the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
The Canadian government asserts that increasing trade with Europe is one of the options it is using to manage a more uncertain relationship with the United States. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)