Canada and France Strengthen Bilateral Ties Français

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Prime Minister's Office

Oct 13, 2016, 10:30 ET

OTTAWA, Oct. 13, 2016 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the Prime Minister of France, Manuel Valls, on his first official visit to Canada.

During the visit, the two leaders took concrete steps to strengthen the Franco-Canadian relationship, and agreed to deepen the already rich cultural ties between the two countries, work towards a safer world, and create the kind of economic growth that will help the middle class grow and prosper.

The two leaders agreed to renew the Canada-France Enhanced Cooperation Agenda, which will: enhance cooperation in peace, security and sustainable development, with an emphasis on protecting women and children, as well as peacekeeping; strengthen economic and scientific cooperation, including through the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and, foster closer societal, cultural, and people-to-people ties, with a special focus on youth.

Canada and France are true partners and true friends, much of which can be attributed to what we share – a common language, a common history, and a common set of values.

Quote

"Canada and France share an impressive and storied past. Thanks to the continued success of our longstanding friendship – and to the dedicated work by Prime Minister Valls – the next chapter of our relationship with France looks even more promising than the last. I am particularly excited that we were able to agree to enhance commercial ties between our two countries – including through CETA – and that we will be strong partners in our efforts to create economies that work for the middle class and those working hard to join it." 
—Rt. Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

  • As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, G7, G20, founding nation of the European Union (EU) and leading partner in La Francophonie, France is a key ally for Canada on the international stage.
  • France is Canada's eighth-largest merchandise trading partner globally and fourth-largest export market in the EU, with bilateral trade valued at $9.9 billion.
  • The EU is the world's second-largest market and Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States.
  • Approximately 98 percent of all EU tariff lines will be duty-free on the day CETA comes into force (over 99 percent will be duty-free when the agreement is fully implemented).
  • Over the course of the visit, ministers from both countries also signed the Declaration on Cooperation in Innovation for 2016-2018 and the Declaration on the Joint Economic Action Plan Canada-France 2016-2017. In addition, Canada and France agreed to a new roadmap on peacekeeping.

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