Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

On 21st September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen discussed Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. They spoke about the importance of maintaining strong unity amongst allies and continuing to impose severe costs on Russia in the face of its invasion of Ukraine. They condemned President Putin’s recent escalatory announcements and reiterated their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They agreed to continue engaging and mobilizing other world leaders, including at the United Nations General Assembly, in support of Ukraine and against Russia’s brutal actions.

The two leaders discussed the need to address the urgent energy requirements of Europe and agreed to work together to develop sustainable solutions, including liquified natural gas, hydrogen, and critical minerals. They also agreed to cooperate on furthering clean energy and technology, and on showcasing global climate leadership to help achieve Canada and the European Union (EU)’s net-zero climate objectives. The Prime Minister and the President commended the successful Cleantech summit held on September 15-16, coinciding with the 5th anniversary of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA).

In the lead-up to COP27, the Prime Minister and the President expressed their resolve to address the impacts of climate change, including the importance of expanding the global coverage of carbon pricing. Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen also agreed on the importance of building momentum and securing an ambitious outcome for biodiversity at COP15, which will be held in Montréal in December.

The Prime Minister and the President underlined the great potential for strengthened supply chains between Canada and the EU, and agreed on the need to further expand commercial and investment ties to help create good jobs and economic prosperity, including through strengthened business-to-business relations and CETA.

The two leaders agreed to reschedule at the earliest opportunity President von der Leyen’s visit to Canada to continue their close cooperation.