I began my tenure at the helm of the Delegation of the European Union to Canada in September 2024, at a time when Canada is gearing up for the G7 chairmanship in 2025 and when Canada and the EU are preparing for the 20th EU-Canada Summit, scheduled to take place in Brussels.

Looking ahead, in 2026 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EU’s presence in Canada, which dates back to the opening of the EU diplomatic representation in Ottawa and signature of the 1976 Framework Agreement for Commercial and Economic Cooperation. We will also mark 10 years since the signature of the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the two main pillars of the institutional architecture that underpins the bilateral cooperation between the EU and Canada.

The EU-Canada partnership is stronger than ever. We are working together to address daunting global challenges and multiple international crises. Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has brought the EU and Canada closer. From day one, we have worked together in support of Ukraine, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora, including in the G7. Beyond support to Ukraine, our joint engagement on the global stage is broad in scope and includes the Middle East, China, the Indo-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.  

The success and extent of the EU-Canada friendship are mirrored in all areas of activity where our objectives are closely aligned. The EU and Canada have built a remarkable level of cooperation, something lately seen with the EU – Canada Summit held on 23 and 24 November in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. An impressive number of substantive deliverables was announced, among them Canada’s association to the EU’s Horizon Europe research programme; the Green Alliance; the EU-Canada Digital Partnership; and the launch of an economic security dialogue.

Our partnership contributes to our prosperity and strengthens our economies. I feel confident that together we will increase the resilience of our open and democratic societies and promote on the global stage our shared commitment to democratic values, multilateralism and the international rules-based order, the very elements that are the bedrock of our bilateral relationship.

I am honoured to connect with Canadians from coast to coast to coast, and I look forward to continuing our exchanges.

Happy surfing,

Geneviève Tuts, Ambassador of the European Union to Canada