The key facts

  • Meinl-Reisinger called the Canada-EU partnership an 'alliance for the future' and urged turning agreements into concrete results
  • Diversifying supply chains should reduce dependence on individual suppliers
  • In her words, Putin is the only one who can end the war in Ukraine immediately; the EU should coordinate its position before negotiations

A call for a closer alliance in Ottawa

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger on Friday called on Canada and the European Union to deepen their cooperation, which, she said, would strengthen economic ties, diversify supply chains and enhance strategic autonomy. Speaking at a joint press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Ottawa, she described the partnership as an 'alliance for the future' that benefits both sides in economics, science, technology and security. 'We are partners by choice. We work together by choice, and we believe that this alliance for the future will make our economies stronger,' she was quoted as saying by the Anadolu agency.

Supply chains and the international order

Diversifying supply chains, in the minister's assessment, would reduce dependence on individual suppliers and make both sides more independent; she called Canada a reliable partner for Europe. Meinl-Reisinger also urged countries that share common values to shape the international order together rather than allowing others to determine its future. She described the Canada-EU partnership as 'the closest possible alliance without full membership,' stressing that the priority is to turn commitments into concrete results. She named India, the Gulf states, Japan and Australia as potential partners for closer cooperation, and called Canada 'the most European country outside Europe.'

Ukraine and transatlantic relations

Turning to the war in Ukraine, the minister said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is the only one who can end the conflict immediately, and called on the EU to coordinate its position ahead of any future negotiations. On transatlantic relations, she advocated preserving cooperation with the United States: 'I understand the meaning of America first, but especially in a global context, no sovereign state can act alone. We need cooperation. So America first is fine, but it is never America alone.' Austria, she added, continues to support US efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and to implement the peace plan in the Gaza Strip.