On February 4, the Ambassador of Italy to Canada, H.E. Alessandro Cattaneo, was received for a courtesy meeting by the Speaker of the Canadian Senate, Senator Raymond Gagné.
The pleasant meeting focused on the shared values and strategic objectives of Italy and Canada, including their commitment to multilateralism and to Euro-Atlantic security within the framework of NATO, as well as their common interest in further strengthening bilateral relations.
In this context, Ambassador Cattaneo underlined how the complementarity between the Italian and Canadian economies represents a fundamental prerequisite for economic and trade dialogue, highlighting the opportunities offered by the ambitious infrastructure programs launched by the Government of Prime Minister Carney. The Ambassador also recalled the decision of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani to include Canada among the high-priority countries for Italian exports.
Ambassador Cattaneo further emphasized that the in-depth dialogue between Italy and Canada – based on the Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation adopted by President Meloni and Prime Minister Carney at the Kananaskis Summit last June – should be expanded to additional sectors. This approach is illustrated by the launch of the Bilateral Energy Dialogue, held on the margins of the G7 meeting on Energy and Critical Minerals last October. Additional opportunities, particularly in terms of technology and employment, may also be found in the defence industrial sector, in light of the shared commitment of Italy and Canada to increasing defence spending within the NATO framework.
Finally, the productive meeting highlighted the potential to explore opportunities for cooperation in parliamentary diplomacy, which – as demonstrated during the G7 Leaders’ Summit under the Canadian presidency – can foster greater alignment of policies and ideas among leading democracies.
