The President of the European Commission has announced a transatlantic trip to Canada and the US next week where she will be making several stops to discuss transatlantic relations, trade, strategic sectoral partnerships and cooperation in support of Ukraine.
Just two of these stops will be in Canada, with one taking place in Kingston and the other taking place in Ottawa, Ontario. The upcoming visit was discussed in detail in an itinerary posted on the Prime Ministers Official website on Thursday.
During the visit, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen will build on “close, enduring transatlantic relations between Canada and the European Union (EU)” and will drive progress on shared priorities, including continuing to work together on advancing clean energy and clean technologies, creating good middle-class jobs, and driving economic growth, most notably through the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).
The leaders will also continue to collaborate on ongoing solidarity and support for Ukraine as the Ukrainian people continue to courageously defend themselves from Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion.
According to the Prime Minister’s itinerary, the transatlantic visit will start in Ottawa, Canada, where the President will arrive on 6 March in the evening. On 7 March in the morning, the President will travel to the Canadian Forces Base of Kingston, from where many Canadian troops have departed to Poland to support humanitarian efforts for Ukrainian refugees.
On March 7, the Prime Minister and the President will travel to Kingston, where they will hold a bilateral meeting to further drive trade and investment, and cooperation under CETA, while also discussing their commitment to fighting climate change.
The leaders will also discuss Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and its global consequences as well as Canada and the EU’s efforts to uphold the rule of law; further promote peace and security, democracy, and human rights; and promote women’s empowerment and gender equality around the world.
While in Kingston, the leaders will also visit Canadian Forces Base Kingston to meet with Canadian Armed Forces personnel who have deployed to Central and Eastern Europe as part of Operation REASSURANCE to support humanitarian efforts for Ukrainian refugees through Task Force Poland.
The Federal Government announced its plans for Kingston troops to support Ukrainian Refugees in August 2022. At the time, 100 troops had already been deployed. The troops in Kingston were deployed from CFB Trenton, who were joined by troops from Canadian Forces Personnel from Edmonton.
Following their bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen will highlight their collaboration on critical minerals as well as Canada’s potential to be a reliable supplier in a net-zero economy. This will include a visit to a Canadian clean technology company.
Following their visit to Kingston, the leaders will return to Ottawa, where President von der Leyen, as the first woman President of the EU Commission, will address Parliament in the House of Commons to highlight the unique ties between our countries and to mark International Women’s Day, the following day on March 8.
Finally, Prime Minister Trudeau will host a reception for Canadian and European businesses and industry leaders to encourage them to take advantage of the investment conditions created by CETA and contribute to strengthening transatlantic supply chains.
