For Federal President Steinmeier, a visit to Canada is an encounter with an ally that is becoming increasingly important – both in terms of shared values and economic cooperation.
During his visit to Canada, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a joint defense of the liberal democracies that are being attacked from within and without. “We have to avoid being politically and economically vulnerable,” he said, adding that our democracy is also a critical infrastructure that needs to be protected and preserved.
In addition to Russia, Steinmeier also named China as an international challenge, whose economic and political claim to power would shape international relations in the long term. In Steinmeier’s view, Canada, as a Pacific nation, has an important role to play in countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Steinmeier meets Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau in Ottawa.
Trudeau pays tribute to Germany international engagement
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed at the joint meeting that Germany and Canada are working side by side in supporting Ukraine. He also paid tribute to Germany’s engagement within the G7.
The Federal President underlined the common goal with Canada of further networking with the states of the region and reducing dependence on China. According to the Federal President, Canada and Germany are more closely linked than ever. As a country rich in raw materials, Canada is particularly interesting for Germany. Trade is now being made easier by the fact that the German Bundestag has ratified the controversial Ceta agreement. It provides for the elimination of almost all customs duties and is intended to facilitate business between companies in the EU and Canada.
Next stop: fuel cells
Accompanied by a business delegation and Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Steinmeier travels on to Vancouver. Among other things, he wants to see the work of a German manufacturer of fuel cells and take part in a round table discussion of German and Canadian business. At the University of British Columbia, he wants to find out more about research projects on smart energy systems.