The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will be traveling to France, Germany, and Belgium, from February 13 to 18, 2025.
Minister Joly will start her trip in Paris, France, on February 13, where she and the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Canada's newly appointed Special Envoy for Syria, will attend the Paris Conference on Syria. They will discuss ways to better coordinate regional and international action to support a peaceful transition in the country, while respecting its sovereignty and ensuring the security of Syrians. While in Paris, Minister Joly will also meet with Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, to exchange on common priorities and on our countries' responses to ongoing geopolitical conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the situation in Haiti.
Minister Joly will then travel to Munich, Germany, where she will attend the Munich Security Conference from February 14 to 16. At the Conference, Minister Joly will advance key Canadian foreign policy priorities through participation in conference sessions and bilateral meetings, including on defence and security issues focused on the Arctic, Ukraine as well as the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions. On the margins of the Conference, Minister Joly will host the first G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting under Canada's 2025 Presidency, during which she will exchange with her counterparts on support for Ukraine, peace and security in the Middle East and other urgent global issues. She will also speak in a roundtable on Arctic security, where she will highlight Canadian investments in Arctic security and defence, and the recent launch of Canada's Arctic Foreign Policy.
Following the Munich Security Conference, Minister Joly will travel to Brussels, Belgium, from February 16 to 18. She will meet with Kaja Kallas, European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament and Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). During these meetings, she will discuss common priorities including our ongoing support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, combatting foreign interference and promoting the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
