The friendship relations between Italy and Canada are deep and long-standing. They are based on the shared belief in the values of democracy and freedom, common membership in multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Atlantic Alliance, and the G7, and the presence in Canada of a significant and hard-working Italian and Italian-descendant community.
Bilateral diplomatic relations have been established in 1947. Over the last few years, bilateral cooperation has further strengthened in various areas, ranging from politics to commerce, science, and culture.
In 2022, the new “Bilateral Agreement on Youth Exchanges” came into force. The Agreement aims to facilitate reciprocal access for young people from both Parties to opportunities enabling them to gain an understanding of each other’s culture, society, and language through experiences of travel, work, and life abroad.
On the sidelines of the 2024 G7 Summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy and Canada approved a “Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation,” aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and promoting joint initiatives in areas of common interest, such as energy security, climate change, research and innovation, trade, sustainable growth, migration, defense, and youth mobility.
Within the framework of the “Roadmap,” Italy and Canada established a Joint Advisory Group on Artificial Intelligence to strengthen cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence at the bilateral level.
Moreover, in October 2024, the two countries signed a “Joint Statement on Critical Minerals and Critical Raw Materials Cooperation”.
Bilateral trade relations are further facilitated by the launch in Canada of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti’s Business Matching Platform, which provides Italian companies with a free tool to identify potential Canadian partners: CDP Business Matching.
At the multilateral level, Italy and Canada maintain close collaboration within organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the G7. This collaboration is based on the convergence of interests and similar sensitivities to major global challenges, such as combating climate change, protecting the environment, respecting human rights, promoting women’s empowerment and abolishing the death penalty. In particular, the framework of the G7 – of which Italy assumed the Presidency in 2024, to be followed by Canada in 2025 – contributes to further strengthening and structuring the already frequent contacts between the two countries. The G7 Presidency handover from Italy to Canada represents a new opportunity to deepen Italian-Canadian relations.