17 June 2013
Lough Erne, Northern Ireland
Upon arriving at Lough Erne to attend the G-8 Summit, Prime Minister Harper met with the Prime Minister of Italy, Enrico Letta. This was the first face-to-face meeting of the two leaders since Prime Minister Letta became Prime Minister earlier this year. The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to exchange perspectives before the G-8 Summit gets underway.
Prime Minister Harper emphasized the strong and close bilateral relationship enjoyed between Italy and Canada. He noted that over a million Canadians trace their origins to Italy. He also underscored solid Canada-Italy trade and investment relations.
Both Leaders discussed economic issues and recent developments in the Eurozone. They both highlighted the jobs and economic benefits that will be created for both the Canadian and Italian economies with the conclusion of a Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Prime Minister Harper confirmed the priority Canada attaches to concluding the agreement. They also discussed a range of global security challenges, including the situation in Syria, Iran and Libya and the need for continuing cooperation among allies.
