Canada

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/47440588

Canada's François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, will be in Brussels, Belgium, on February 16 to reinforce Canada’s commitment to shared economic prosperity and strengthened collaboration on both sides of the Atlantic.

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This marks a milestone as it is the first time a Canadian Finance Minister has been invited to participate in a meeting of the Eurogroup. The Eurogroup is an informal body that ensures close coordination of economic policies among the euro area member states and promotes conditions for stronger economic growth. It provides a key platform for Canada to align on growth strategies with its closest allies.

The Minister will take this opportunity to continue engaging his counterparts on the Defence, Security, and Resilience Bank (DSRB)—an initiative that brings together likeminded partners, mobilizes capital and support collective security. He will also highlight Canada’s plan to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and reiterate Canada’s commitment to invest 5% of its GDP in defence by 2035, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Defence Investment Pledge.

The Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with his European counterparts and European Commission leaders, and meet with European business leaders to discuss the importance of stable rules-based trade.

This visit builds on Minister Champagne’s recent visits to France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Italy, as Canada and Europe enter a new era of partnership focusing on a shared future of security, resilience, and clean growth.