dailynewsnblog
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, during his bilateral visit to Ireland.
Prime Minister Carney and Taoiseach Martin underscored the deep Canada-Ireland relationship, rooted in shared history, common values, and strong people-to-people ties.
Building on the successful bilateral trade relationship – which has grown nearly 150% in the past decade – the leaders announced deeper bilateral cooperation across key sectors, guided by a new joint statement.
First, Canada and Ireland will work closer on artificial intelligence (AI). Leveraging Canada’s AI for All strategy and Ireland’s new “Digital Ireland” strategy, we will identify pathways for cooperation to build and use AI, seize new opportunities, and save lives.
Second, Canada and Ireland will deepen bilateral cooperation on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, with a focus on life-science skills development for students and researchers. The leaders underlined the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Toronto-based Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) and Ireland’s RINN Advanced Therapies national research centre as an example. The MOU will explore the establishment of a CCRM Ireland hub to harness transformative health technologies and create new opportunities for Canadian biopharmaceutical companies.
Finally, the leaders tasked their officials with finding new ways to increase shared food security and resilience, including leveraging Canada’s new National Food Security Strategy to guide this partnership.
As Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in July, the leaders discussed additional opportunities set in Ireland’s agenda to build competitiveness, bolster defence and security, and uphold shared values. These efforts will be reinforced by Ireland’s full ratification of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), expected later this year.
The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach reaffirmed their support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and emphasised the imperative of de-escalation in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Carney thanked the Taoiseach for his invitation to visit Ireland and for his hospitality. They agreed to remain in close contact.
