Vilnius, 12 July 2023 (TDI): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, on July 11, 2023. The meeting took place during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
During the meeting, they discussed the prospects to enhance the relationship between Canada and Estonia. Both also reaffirmed their support for Ukraine.
Prime Minister Trudeau was also accompanied by Melanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Anita Anand, the Minister of National Defense.
Both Prime Ministers reaffirmed their support and commitment to collaboration with allies to discuss the most crucial ongoing security challenges, especially the Russia-Ukraine War.
The Estonian Prime Minister, Kallas, also thanked Prime Minister Trudeau, for continuous Canadian Leadership as a Framework Nation for NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia. The conversation also included a discussion on the prospects of strengthening cooperation in cyber security.
Moreoever, both leaders welcomed the elevation of the Canadian office in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, to the status of an embassy, as a sign of the strengthened and growing bilateral relations between both states.
The Prime Ministers of Canada and Estonia reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia, in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, and its path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Both leaders also agreed to stay in contact with each other.
Background of relations between Canada and Estonia:
Canada and Estonia have had strong bilateral relations. Canada has one of the largest Estonian diaspora. Canadian office has been present in Tallinn, since 1991. In 2022, Canada announced that it would set up an embassy in Estonia. Both states have had close trade relations as well.
Canada, in 2004, was one of the initial states to ratify the accession of Estonia into the NATO alliance. Both states have close defense relations with each other under the umbrella of NATO. They are also party to several international organizations and work together on various global issues.
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