Berlin, Germany - 27 March 2014
Chancellor, let me begin by thanking you for the warm welcome you’ve shown me and the entire Canadian delegation.
As I mentioned earlier, this is my fifth visit to Germany as Prime Minister.
I’m always very grateful for your hospitality and the hospitality we receive from the German people more widely.
I also always appreciate any opportunity to exchange views with you, something we have now done for over eight years together, including during your bilateral visit to Ottawa in August 2012, which was the first such visit by a German chancellor in over a decade.
I’ve always valued our conversations and today was no different.
We exchanged views on a number of bilateral and international issues, including the grave developments that have been taking place in Ukraine over the past several weeks.
And we are united in our view that President Putin’s actions are a clear and unacceptable violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
President Putin’s actions are also in contravention of Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter and its agreements, its own agreements, to respect Ukraine’s borders.
We are also united in our view that Ukrainians alone are entitled to choose their own future and that their choice will be considered legitimate only if made in the absence of force or fear, which is the opposite of what truly happened in Crimea.
This viewpoint is a reflection of our shared values: freedom, democracy and rule of law.
These are values that we have long defended together on the world scene, as partners within the G-7, the G-20, the UN, the OECD and NATO, to name a few.
But our ties go way deeper.
Indeed, they are family ties.
In fact, there are in Canada more than three million people of German origin.
That is almost ten per cent of our entire population.
And as you know, I’m here in Germany today, as the Chancellor mentioned, with representatives of a large number of Canadian companies as well as organizations that represent many thousands of Canadian businesses.
They are here because trade creates prosperity and they are here because the Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement will create opportunities we haven’t even yet imagined.
These business people are here because trade with Germany is a vital part of the Canadian economy.
Ours is already a strong and diverse commercial relationship covering trade, investment, as well as research and development, things that all featured in the Chancellor’s visit to Canada.
Germany is Canada’s eighth-largest merchandise export market.
It ranks fourth among Canada’s import suppliers and it is our fifth-largest in trade and services.
German companies have invested more than 11 billion dollars in Canada.
Likewise, Canadian firms hold more than seven billion dollars in direct investment in Germany and free trade will only grow those numbers.
That is why our Government launched the most ambitious program of trade negotiations in Canadian history.
We have increased the number of countries with which Canada enjoys free trade from 5 to 43, in the Americas, in Asia and, of course, in Europe.
The Canada-European Union trade framework is good news for both Canada and Germany.
Every region in Canada will benefit from increased trade with Germany, as will virtually every sector of our economy.
Aerospace, machinery, agriculture, consumer products, automotive, food and beverage sector, just to name a few.
So, please allow me to close by personally thanking you Angela for your determined efforts to make the Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement a reality.
We talked about some of the benefits for both of our countries.
For German companies let me emphasize the fact that when this agreement comes into force German companies located in Canada will be able to have free trade access not only to the market of the European Union, but also the market of NAFTA as well.
And this is a particularly advantageous position.
Angela, I know your steadfast commitment to seeing this deal done was instrumental in its ultimate success.
So, we’re appreciative and are our two countries will be stronger for it.
Thank you.
