MONTRÉAL, June 11, 2026 /CNW/ - In a more dangerous and divided world, Canada's government is focused on what we can control. We are building our strength at home and diversifying our partnerships abroad.

On the margins of the Conference of Montreal, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, met with Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy at the European Commission.

During their bilateral meeting, Minister Joly and Executive Vice-President Séjourné agreed on a first set of concrete steps under the Canada–EU Industrial Policy Dialogue that was announced one year ago. These include exploring cooperation in key sectors such as aluminum and aerospace, as well as enhancing cooperation on graphite, including an EU-designated project.

They also agreed to exchange best practices on economic security, particularly with respect to foreign direct investment, and examine opportunities for reciprocal market access in the context of the Buy Canadian Policy, consistent with provisions of the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Minister Joly's engagements with the European Union build on her recent trips to Europe to advance strategic opportunities for economic integration across priority industries and pathways for co-investment to strengthen global supply chains. These discussions support the Prime Minister's upcoming participation in the 2026 G7 Leaders' Summit in Évian, France, where he will deepen Canada's international partnerships and build on progress achieved during Canada's G7 Presidency last year.

The Government of Canada is focused on strengthening its global partnerships and investing strategically in industrial collaboration. Through continued cooperation with our European partners and allies, Canada is building a more secure and resilient economy that will protect and create jobs and deliver new economic opportunities for Canadians.

Quotes

"In a rapidly changing global economy, Canada is strengthening its partnerships with trusted allies like the European Union and France to build more resilient and secure supply chains. By deepening industrial cooperation and advancing shared priorities, we are positioning Canada as a reliable partner, and, at the same time, creating good jobs and new economic opportunities for Canadians."

– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

Quick facts

• On February 17, 2026, Prime Minister Carney launched the Defence Industrial Strategy, which is positioning Canada as a leader in the European Union's Readiness 2030 plan, a multilateral effort with our European allies to reinforce defence supply chains and industrial capacity among allied nations.

Associated links

• Conference of Montreal
• Canada announces new, strengthened partnership with the European Union
• Canada welcomes progress towards the establishment of the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank and hosting its headquarters

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