THE CANADIAN PRIME Minister Mark Carney is in town to meet the Taoiseach and President Catherine Connolly this weekend.
The visit comes Micheál Martin had to call of his visit to Canada in dramatic fashion when the country was caught up in the midst of the fuel protests.
So, instead, Carney has decided to stop off in Ireland to say hi on his way to the G7 summit, which is taking place in Evian in the French Alps from 15-17 June.
On Saturday, Carney will land in Dublin Airport before making his way to Government Buildings in Dublin for a bilateral meeting with the Taoiseach, followed by a press conference.
The Canadian prime minister will take part in a fireside chat in Trinity College, before heading to Dublin Castle where a banquet dinner will be held to mark the visit
Carney, who is visiting Ireland for the first time as prime minister, will also travel to Mayo during his stay, travelling to Westport to learn more about his Irish roots.
Connections to Ireland
With a name like that, of course he has some connection to Ireland.
Three of Carney’s grandparents were from Aughagower in Co Mayo and the prime minister had held Irish citizenship since the 1980s.
He also had UK citizenship, but he had to renounce both when he was elected prime minister as he believes that as the Canadian leader, he should only hold one citizenship.
Carney’s office said this visit will be focused on “deepening Canada and Ireland’s longstanding cultural and people-to-people ties and expanding ties across agri-food, digital innovation, AI, pharmaceuticals and climate”.
“Ireland and France are two of Canada’s closest and longest-standing partners,” said Carney ahead of the visit.
In an increasingly uncertain world, we are deepening these ties.
Meanwhile, Martin’s office said the visit will “be a useful opportunity to discuss bilateral relations between Ireland and Canada”.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Martin said Carney is “proud of his Irish heritage, and we will be discussing ways to strengthen our bilateral relations even further”.
He added that Canada is an “important economic partner for Ireland, with strong trade in goods and services in both directions”.
CETA deal
The Taoiseach said the meeting will also allow for a discussion on ways to further strengthen the close economic relations between the two countries following the ratification of CETA, which is expected in the coming weeks.
The EU-Canada trade agreement, known as CETA, has been contentious.
Ten member states previously rejected the deal and declined to ratify it, and the Irish Supreme Court previously said that CETA would be unconstitutional due to clauses that could allow foreign investors to sue the state over any potential breaches. However, the Irish government has sought to iron out any concerns in the midst of global trade uncertainty.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the Taoiseach said:
“Canada is an important economic partner for Ireland, with strong trade in goods and services in both directions. CETA is close to be being fully ratified by the Oireachtas, so this is an ideal time to explore further options for economic cooperation across a range of sectors.”
He said other global issues will also be discussed, including the situations in the Middle East and Ukraine.