April 23, 2012 - The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, and Pia Olsen Dyhr, Minister for Trade and Investment for Denmark, the current holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, today issued a joint statement following their meeting in Ottawa:
“As northern neighbours, long-standing allies and strong economic partners, today we met to discuss the benefits an ambitious Canada-EU trade agreement will bring to businesses, workers and their families in both our countries. We are pleased at the progress made so far and want to reaffirm our joint commitment to an ambitious outcome to these negotiations.
“A comprehensive economic and trade agreement between Canada and the European Union will benefit hard-working Canadians and Danes alike by providing new sources of jobs and growth, lower prices for goods and services for families, and higher wages for workers.
“Canadian and Danish workers in our fish and seafood, technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, agriculture and renewable energy sectors—to name just a few—will all benefit from increased access to one another’s markets.
“Canada and the EU are already strong trading partners, with two-way merchandise trade reaching $92.1 billion last year. We are encouraged that an agreement could increase our lucrative bilateral trade by 20 percent.
“With negotiations now entering a stage where solutions to the remaining issues are being actively explored, we believe it is time to reaffirm our strong support for an ambitious outcome to these historic negotiations.
“In what remains a challenging global economic climate, a successful outcome to our negotiations will deliver significant benefits to our citizens and ensure the long-term prosperity of both Canada and Denmark.”
For more information on the negotiations, please visit Canada-European Union: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
- 30 -
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Rudy Husny
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
613-992-7332
Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000
Follow us on Twitter: @Canada_Trade
