Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened in Toronto, Canada, to announce the establishment of the Canada-Italy Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation.
This strategic initiative aims to bolster the political, economic, and strategic ties between the two nations over the next three to five years.
The roadmap outlines collaboration in critical areas such as energy security, climate change and biodiversity, migration, sustainable economic growth, and research and innovation, focusing on artificial intelligence.
Trudeau and Italian PM Meloni (Credits: WION)
As members of the G-7, Canada, and Italy plan to assess the progress of this roadmap in an upcoming meeting in Italy this June. Trudeau admired Meloni’s leadership during Italy’s presidency of the G-7 summit this year and anticipates a strong partnership as Canada prepares to host the summit in 2025.
Trudeau highlighted Canada and Italy’s deep and expanding economic relationship, noting their alignment on various issues.
Despite previous disagreements, particularly regarding LGBTQ2S+ rights and the recognition of parental rights in same-sex families—a matter on which Trudeau and Meloni had a public disagreement last year—the two leaders are now focused on a collaborative future.
Meloni, addressing the G-7 priorities under her leadership, emphasized artificial intelligence, the importance of the Indo-Pacific region, and adherence to the international rule-based order.
She also stressed the significance of supporting Ukraine and managing the Middle East crisis to prevent further escalation. This new phase of cooperation between Canada and Italy reflects a mutual commitment to addressing global challenges and enhancing bilateral relations.
