Minister Champagne travels to Europe to meet with key partners on the situations in Belarus, Nagorno Karabakh and the Eastern Mediterranean

October 9, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel next week to Greece, Austria, Belgium and Lithuania where he will meet with key European partners to discuss how the international community can address the situations in Belarus, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In Athens, the Minister will meet with Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias.

In Vienna, Minister Champagne will meet with Austria’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg, as well as with key interlocutors, including the acting Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Tuula Yrjölä.

In Belgium, Minister Champagne will meet with Sophie Wilmès, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade.  While in Brussels, he will also hold meetings with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, as well as with NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.  This will be an opportunity for Minister Champagne to discuss European peace and security issues from the perspectives of both the EU and NATO while demonstrating Canada’s continued commitment to collective action in defending and enhancing security, stability and prosperity.

Finally, the Minister will travel to Lithuania, where he will meet with his counterpart, Linas Linkevičius. At Canada’s initiative, he will also participate in a meeting of the Baltic Group with the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Their discussions will focus on regional security matters, including Belarus and the Canada-led NATO battlegroup in Latvia.

While in Vilnius, Minister Champagne will also be meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

Minister Champagne will follow all applicable health and safety protocols, including public health advice measures, and will quarantine for 14 days upon his return to Canada.