Calls with international leaders

[ * ] An asterisk appears where sensitive information has been removed in accordance with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

Managing calls with international counterparts

Following your re-election, it is expected that most international leaders will write letters of congratulation, while others will call to offer you their congratulations in person [ * ] While this will require you to set-aside time in your schedule, none of these calls are expected to require a lengthy discussion of substantive issues.

Telephone calls between leaders are usually arranged in advance. [ * ] This procedure also ensures that a mutually convenient time is established (often critical if a time differential is involved), that both leaders are ready to take the call, that appropriate briefings occur, that note-takers are in place, and that interpreters are available, if required. The advance notice may be several days or could be as short as a few hours. You may begin receiving calls as early as election night. These calls will likely continue in the days and weeks immediately following the election.

To prepare for possible phone calls, notes have been prepared for high priority anticipated calls, which are included in this book. These notes contain a background on the state of the relationship with the country/organization and key bilateral issues, suggested talking points, and a biography for the leader. Background notes and talking points will be updated as circumstances warrant. The calls are organized through the PMO switchboard. Should you receive a request for a congratulatory call from a world leader not covered in this list of high priority countries/organizations, material will be prepared to support your engagement. Prior to the call, you may wish to be briefed by your Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor, David Morrison, for any updates on issues that could arise during the call. [ * ]

• Note: a dictionary of abbreviations can be found at the end of this document.

List of high priority anticipated calls

[ * ]

[ * ]

List of leader participation at fall summits

Note: For all summits, country participation and the level of participation (e.g., head of state, head of government or ministerial level) is still to be confirmed. This list is illustrative of the leaders you may encounter at early summits following the election.

Confirmed Summits:

• [ * ]
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit (Santiago, Chile): November 16–17, 2019
• NATO Leaders’ Summit (London, United Kingdom): December 3–4, 2019
• [ * ]

Australia – Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Background

Australia is one of Canada’s closest partners in the region and an important Five Eyes security and intelligence ally. [ * ]

On August 24, 2018, Scott Morrison became Prime Minister of Australia through internal party processes. He was returned as prime minister in federal elections on May 18, 2019, leading a right-of-centre coalition (Liberal Party-National Party) to a slim two-seat majority in the lower House.

[ * ] You had met earlier at the G20 Summit in Osaka (June 28-29, 2019) and in early June, during the D-Day Commemorations in the UK and France. You last communicated on September 20 [ * ]

Upcoming opportunities for meetings include [ * ] Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC, Chile, November 16-17).

In early October, Prime Minister Morrison outlined his foreign policy orientations at the Lowy Institute, Australia’s premier foreign policy think-tank. He argued for “pragmatic international engagement, based on the cooperation of sovereign nation states” to address disruption arising from strategic competition, technology, and continuing security threats, but notes that such cooperation is being challenged by a new variant of negative coercive globalism “that seeks to elevate global institutions above the authority of nation states to direct national policies.” He advocates instead for a positive globalism that facilitates, aligns and engages, and rejects isolationism and protectionism. He also rejects the binary narrative of strategic competition between China and the US and asserts that Australia will maintain in good order its unique relationships with the US – Australia’s “most important ally” – and China – Australia’s “comprehensive strategic partner” by “valuing and nurturing the unconflicted benefit” of Australia’s close association.

[ * ]

Scott Morrison

Prime Minister of Australia

Scott Morrison became Prime Minister of Australia on August 24, 2018, following internal party procedures, and was subsequently elected on May 18, 2019, leading a Liberal Party-National Party coalition to a slim two-seat majority in the lower house (three year term). First elected MP in 2007 and re-elected in 2010, 2013 and 2016, Prime Minister Morrison has also served as Treasurer and as Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

[ * ]

Border protection is of prime importance for Prime Minister Morrison. He was the architect of Operation Sovereign Borders, a policy that put defence personnel in charge of intercepting asylum seekers at sea to deny access to mainland Australia. [ * ] Prime Minister Morrison has been vocal on the Christchurch mosque attacks of March 2019, perpetrated by an Australian national. Following the attacks, he ordered a review on how the national security community treats the threat posed by populist and right wing extremists. He also initiated, at the Osaka G20, an initiative countering violent extremist content online. [ * ]

Australia is the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter on a per capita basis, and 13th largest emitter overall. Australia has ratified the Paris Agreement and committed to an emissions reduction target of 26-28% on 2005 levels by 2030. During the 2019 electoral campaign, the Liberal-National coalition re-committed itself to the Paris Agreement [ * ]

Prime Minister Morrison studied economic geography at the University of New South Wales. He is married with two daughters.

Chile – President Sebastián Piñera

Background

You and President Piñera have interacted several times since President Piñera took office in March 2018, and informally at the G7 Summit in August 2019 in Biarritz, France and the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan in June 2019.

You might meet with President Piñera during the following Chile-hosted events: High Level Event on Sustainable Ocean Development (November 15) or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Summit (November 16-17). Chile is also hosting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP25; December 12-13) [ * ]

President Piñera has set an ambitious agenda to improve economic growth, security, education and health.

[ * ]

Chile and Canada have collaborated actively. Chile has hosted Lima Group meetings and imposed a travel ban on high-ranking officials of the Maduro regime. Chile is one of the top receiving countries of Venezuelan migrants (over 288,000).

A modernized Canada-Chile free trade agreement (CCFTA) entered into force in February 2019, which includes Canada’s first trade and gender chapter in a free trade agreement. Chile is Canada’s second largest trading partner in South America. Bilateral trade in goods has nearly quadrupled since CCFTA entered into force in 1997, reaching $2.8 billion in 2018. Canadian direct investment in Chile is $21.5 billion (2018) making it Canada’s top investment destination in Latin America, with investments in mining, infrastructure, and financial services.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force in December 2018. [ * ] Chile is the current president of the Pacific Alliance, a regional integration initiative that includes Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Canada is negotiating a free trade agreement with the Pacific Alliance to become an Associated State. [ * ]

Canada seconded a Global Affairs Canada official to Chile’s APEC Secretariat during Chile’s host year and committed $1 million for COP25. Under Chile, APEC will have both leader-level and ministerial meetings (for foreign and trade ministers).

[ * ]

Sebastián Piñera

President of the Republic of Chile

President Piñera was elected in December 2017 for a second, non-consecutive, four-year term, having previously held the presidential office from 2010-14. He is a billionaire businessman with a PhD in economics from Harvard and is the leader of the centre-right Chile Vamos coalition.

President Piñera established, with his colleagues in Colombia, Mexico and Peru, the Pacific Alliance in 2011. Chile is the current president of the Pacific Alliance [ * ]

President Piñera has been playing an active leadership role regionally, creating and holding the first presidency of ProSur, a grouping of South American democracies, committing strong support to the peaceful resolution of the Venezuela crisis via the Lima Group, and committing to combatting the Amazon fires. Internationally, Chile is also hosting APEC this year (November 2019) and COP25 (December 2019).

European Council – President Donald Tusk

Background

Donald Tusk’s mandate as European Council President (akin to Head of State) comes to an end on November 30, 2019. He will be replaced by former Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel, who will start his 2.5 year mandate (renewable once) on December 1.

You and President Tusk last interacted at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, in August 2019. You hosted President Tusk for the latest Canada-EU Leaders’ Summit, held in Montreal in July 2019. The Summit was an opportunity to publicly reaffirm: the comprehensive nature of the Canada-EU relationship; our common commitment to shared values, multilateralism and the rules-based international order (including for trade); and the critical importance of maintaining the transatlantic relationship.

To date, 13 EU Member States have ratified the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). [ * ] CETA’s provisional application began on September 21, 2017, resulting in an overall 12% increase in two-way trade in goods and services in 2018 over 2017. [ * ]

In response to the recent Turkish military operation in north-east Syria, the EU released a statement on October 9, which emphasized that a sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict cannot be achieved militarily and called on Turkey to cease the unilateral military action.

On Iran, the EU continues working to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal). For example, the EU recently chaired a Ministerial meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly of the E3/EU+2 (China, France, Germany, Russia, and UK) and Iran which discussed implementation of the JCPOA. The joint statement from the meeting affirmed determination to continue all efforts to preserve the agreement.

The EU has publicly expressed concerns about the escalation of violence and continuing unrest in Hong Kong, including in a statement in early October, as well as in a joint Ministerial statement with Canada in mid-August.

The EU maintains various restrictive measures in response Russian actions in Ukraine.

[ * ]

Donald Tusk

President of the European Council

Donald Tusk completes his term as President of the European Council (akin to Head of State) on November 30, 2019. He will be replaced by former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel on December 1.

Elected in 2014 and re-elected for a second 2.5-year term (the position is renewable only once) in March 2017, Tusk is a career politician; he was the longest serving Prime Minister of Poland (seven years) and the first to be re-elected. He comes from the center-right European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) grouping in the European Parliament.

[ * ]

He was born in 1957 in Gdansk, on the Baltic Sea coast and studied history at Gdansk University. He is married with two children.

European Commission – President Ursula von der Leyen

Background

In the coming weeks, Ursula von der Leyen will start her five-year term as President of the European Commission (akin to Head of Government), replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. She was previously Germany’s Defence Minister.

At the same time, a new EU College of Commissioners (akin to Cabinet) will start their tenure, with one Commissioner (akin to Minister) from each Member State. Von der Leyen has structured her College around six priorities: 1) a European Green Deal; 2) an economy that works for people; 3) a Europe fit for the digital age; 4) protecting the European way of life; 5) a stronger Europe in the world; and 6) a new push for European democracy. Von der Leyen is working towards a gender balanced Commission.

On August 8, 2019, you phoned then President-elect von der Leyen to congratulate her on her election. You reaffirmed the strong relationship and shared values between Canada and the EU. You welcomed the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the opportunities for economic growth it presents for both Canada and the EU.

To date, 13 EU Member States have ratified CETA. [ * ]

CETA’s provisional application began on September 21, 2017, resulting in an overall 12% increase in two-way trade in goods and services in 2018 over 2017. [ * ]

In response to the recent Turkish military operation in north-east Syria, the EU released a statement on October 9, which emphasized that a sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict cannot be achieved militarily and called on Turkey to cease the unilateral military action.

On Iran, a recent example of the EU’s efforts aimed at preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal), was chairing a Ministerial meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly of the E3/EU+2 (China, France, Germany, Russia, and UK) and Iran which discussed implementation of the JCPOA.

The EU has expressed concerns about the escalation of violence in Hong Kong; including in a statement in early October, and in a joint Ministerial statement with Canada in mid-August.

The EU maintains various restrictive measures in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

[ * ]

Ursula von der Leyen

President of the European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen starts her five-year term as President of the European Commission (akin to Head of Government) in the coming weeks. She is the first woman to hold the office and the first German since the Commission’s first president, Walter Hallstein, elected in 1958. She comes from the center-right European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) grouping in the European Parliament.

She previously served as German Federal Minister of Defence (2013-2019), where she was also the first woman in German history to hold the office. [ * ] Earlier, she was Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs (2009-2013) and Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (2005-2009). Until her election as EU Commission President, she had been deputy head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2010 and a member of the CDU steering committee since 2004.

President Von der Leyen joined Germany’s CDU party in 1990, and was active in local politics between 2001 and 2004. [ * ] in 2003, when she was elected to the Lower Saxony state parliament and immediately became state Minister for Social Affairs, Women, Family and Health (2003-2005).

She studied economics and medicine and became a medical doctor in 1991. In 2001, she completed a Master’s degree in Public Health. From 1988 to 2002, she practiced medicine in Hanover and Stanford (California).

President Von der Leyen was born on October 8, 1958 in Ixelles, Brussels. [ * ] She is married and has seven children.

France – President Emmanuel Macron

Background

Canada and France’s successive G7 presidencies allowed continuity on shared priorities, including addressing inequalities and promoting peace and security. In 2018-2019, you visited France five times.

During these visits, Canada and France made a number of commitments, including the following: a Canada-France statement on multilateralism; cooperation on artificial intelligence; an action plan on international assistance; a Canada-France climate partnership; and a declaration on cultural diversity and the digital space.

[ * ]

President Macron is organizing an event on the margins of the Paris Peace Forum, November 11 to 13, 2019, related to the Alliance for Multilateralism, of which Canada is one of the originators. [ * ]

[ * ] If CETA passes in the senate (vote expected in November), the final steps required for ratification would be Presidential signature and tabling in Brussels.

Merchandise trade: In 2018, bilateral trade with France amounted to $10.6 billion. Canadian exports to France were maintained at $3.4 billion. The main exports were machinery and equipment, mineral ores, aircraft and aircraft parts.

Trade in services: In 2017, bilateral trade totalled $6.2 billion. Canada was a net importer of services, with imports of nearly $3.3 billion and exports of nearly $2.9 billion.

[ * ]

You last met with President Macron at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, in August 2019. The next occasion to meet President Macron will be during the NATO Leaders Summit on December 3-4.

[ * ]

Emmanuel Macron

President of the French Republic

Born on December 21, 1977, in Amiens (Somme), Emmanuel Macron became the youngest elected president in France’s history on May 7, 2017. He and his En Marche party received 24% of the votes in the first round of the election. In the second round, he faced [ * ] Marine LePen, against whom he received 66 % of the votes. For the first time since the establishment of the Fifth Republic (1958), a candidate who was not from one of the usual political parties successfully secured the country’s highest position and at unparalleled speed.

Positioning himself as neither left-wing nor right-wing, Mr. Macron received support from socialist voters and republican voters alike to win the presidency. [ * ] His limited and gender-balanced government is made up of politicians from a variety of backgrounds and members of civil society. He secured a parliamentary majority in the June 2017 legislative election.

Mr. Macron was the Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in Manuel Valls’ socialist government (2014-2016), and the former Deputy Secretary General of the Élysée responsible for economic affairs under President Hollande (2012-2014). He formed the En Marche political party in May 2016 to pull France out of the traditional left-right split that, in his opinion, prevented the country from modernizing.

An investment banker with Rothschild & Co. between 2008 and 2012 who became a millionaire through his contribution to Nestlé’s acquisition of one of Pfizer’s subsidiaries, Mr. Macron was a member of the socialist party between 2006 and 2009. His economic program, which he had already promoted in Hollande’s presidential program in 2012, focuses on reducing France’s debt and re-establishing business competitiveness while maintaining the government’s protective role. He is considered a “social liberal.”

[ * ] Mr. Macron is bilingual [ * ]

Francophonie – Secretary General Louise Mushikiwabo

Background

Louise Mushikiwabo was designated the fourth Secretary General of La Francophonie on October 12, 2018, at the last Francophonie Summit in Yerevan, Armenia. She assumed her duties in January 2019.

Louise Mushikiwabo’s priorities have aligned with Canada’s long-standing priorities within La Francophonie, including modernizing the Organisation internationale de La Francophonie (OIF), expanding the influence of the French language, promoting democratic values, resolving crises within the Francophone world, and the importance of youth, gender equality and La Francophonie’s economic dimension.

Her official meeting with you in Ottawa in June 2019 [ * ]

With the support of the OIF’s administrator, Canadian Catherine Cano, Louise Mushikiwabo chairs a focus group on the organization’s direction and governance, which will issue its recommendations to the heads of state and government at the Tunis Summit in October 2020 (this summit will mark La Francophonie’s fiftieth anniversary).

The Secretary General also [ * ] the focus group can consider the OIF’s expansion and its implications and impacts. She has launched various audits to paint a realistic picture of the organization and has begun modernizing its programs.

[ * ]

Louise Mushikiwabo

Secretary General of La Francophonie

Louise Mushikiwabo was designated Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de La Francophonie in October 2018 by the heads of state and government at the Yerevan Summit in Armenia. She took office in January 2019.

Her priorities for La Francophonie focus on four areas: the relevance of the Organisation internationale de La Francophonie (OIF), expanding the influence of the French language, youth employment and sharing best practices.

Before taking the reins of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo was Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 2009 to 2018. She lived in the US for about 20 years and, in 2006, co-authored the book Rwanda Means the Universe.

[ * ] She is a strong advocate of women’s empowerment and gender equality.

[ * ]

Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel

Background

You last met Chancellor Merkel on August 25, on the margins of the G7 Summit in France. Upcoming opportunities to meet include: [ * ] and NATO Leaders’ Meeting in London, UK (December 3-4).

[ * ] Germany is Canada’s second-largest merchandise trading partner in the EU (after the UK) and ranks sixth globally, with two-way merchandise valued at $23.9 billion in 2018. Germany is the eight-largest investor in Canada with investment stock valued at $17 billion.

With respect to Iran, Germany remains strongly committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal), and has been active with France, the UK and the EU in efforts to preserve it.

[ * ]

In response to the recent Turkish military operation in northeast Syria, Germany released a statement on October 9 at the Foreign Minister level condemning the Turkish offensive.

[ * ]

Angela Merkel

Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel is currently serving her fourth consecutive term as Chancellor. She heads Germany’s current ‘Grand Coalition’ government consists of her party, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Germany’s most recent federal election took place in September 2017, with the next anticipated for fall 2021.

[ * ] Having served as the leader of the CDU since 2000, Chancellor Merkel announced in 2018 that she was giving up her chair of the party and that, after fourteen years as Chancellor, she would not seek re-election in Germany’s next election.

Chancellor Merkel entered politics following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and joined the East German political movement ‘Democratic Awakening’. She served briefly as the deputy spokesperson for the first and only democratically-elected East German government before joining the CDU in August 1990. Brought into cabinet by Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Chancellor Merkel held two ministerial portfolios under Kohl: Women and Youth (1991-94) and Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety (1994-98). Following her party’s defeat in the 1998 elections, she became CDU Secretary-General in 2000. Chancellor Merkel was first elected Chancellor in 2005, and then again in 2009, 2013 and 2017.

[ * ] In addition to German, she speaks English and Russian fluently.

Chancellor Merkel was last in Canada in June 2018 to attend the G7 Summit in Charlevoix. Prior to this, she traveled to Canada in February 2015 for a brief visit in her capacity as G7 Chair, in August 2012 for a bilateral visit, and in 2010 for the G8 and G20 Summits.

India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Background

You last saw Prime Minister Modi at the 2019 G20 and G7 Summits. You congratulated the Prime Minister on his election victory and you agreed to reconnect after the Canadian election. Prime Minister Modi last visited Canada in April, 2015. The bilateral relationship was elevated to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ at that time. [ * ]

[ * ]

During your February 2018 visit, Canada and India committed to finalizing a long-term arrangement on India’s fumigation requirements on pulses in 2018. [ * ]

As the world’s sixth-largest economy with growth rates forecast to continue above 7 percent, [ * ]

[ * ]

Narendra Modi

Prime Minister of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heads India’s conservative, [ * ] Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government. Modi won his first term as Prime Minister in 2014 and secured a second five-year term after winning a landslide victory in the May 2019 elections. Before running for office at the national level, Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat state from 2001-2014.

Prime Minister Modi advocates a pro-business platform and has described himself the “CEO of India.” During his first term, Modi launched the Make in India initiative, a campaign to attract international capital to the country’s manufacturing sector and increase the share of manufacturing GDP. He also introduced policies to open the economy to foreign investment in civil aviation, e-commerce, defense, print media, railways, medical devices and insurance. Following the 2014 election and amid slowing economic growth, Modi introduced a major corporate tax cut to entice global business and improve India’s competitiveness.

In the lead up to the 2019 national elections, protectionist measures were implemented to address domestic agricultural concerns. As a result, sectors such as agriculture and agri-foods saw the imposition of enforced tariffs and quantitative restrictions aimed at increasing domestic capacity in these areas.

On foreign policy, Prime Minister Modi has adopted a more assertive approach starting with a “Neighborhood First” strategy which aims to reassert Indian influence in South Asia. He also seeks to increase India’s influence at the international level. In recent years, India has become a prominent member of the G20 and has secured a seat as a non-permanent UN Security Council member from 2021-22.

[ * ]

Israel – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu *or* Benny Gantz

Background

You spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu on April 12, 2019, to congratulate him on his victory following the April 9, 2019 elections.

Prime Minister Netanyahu failed to form a coalition following the April 12, 2019 elections, leading to a second set of elections on September 17, 2019. These did not give any party a majority and President Rivlin gave Prime Minister Netanyahu until October 23 to form a coalition. If he is unable to do so, President Rivlin would ask competitor Benny Gantz to form a coalition or the Knesset to agree on an individual who could do so. If this fails, there could be a third election.

[ * ]

In June 2019, the US announced the economic portion of its peace plan that provides for assistance of US$50 billion over 10 years, disbursed primarily in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Funds would be from private and public sources. [ * ]

[ * ]

On October 6, 2019, President Trump announced that America’s troops would leave northeast Syria, on Turkey’s border, and allow Turkey to invade. Both Canada and Israel condemned the Turkish incursion into Syria. Israel offered humanitarian assistance to the Kurds and warned against ethnic cleansing by Turkey.

[ * ]

Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of the State of Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has served as prime minister since 2009. Combined with his previous 1996-1999 term , he is now the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, surpassing David Ben-Gurion after 13 years in office serving five terms (four consecutively) as PM and Chairman of the Likud party. His reputation in Israel as the guarantor of the country’s security has enabled him and the Likud party to govern Israel for the past 10 years, with an increasing reliance on the country’s religious-nationalists.

[ * ]

Prime Minister Netanyahu is married and has three children. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He last visited Canada in 2012.

Benjamin (Benny) Gantz

Mr. Benjamin (Benny) Gantz was born in 1959 and started his military career in 1977 by joining the elite Paratroopers Brigade of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Gantz retired in 2015 from the military as its Chief of the General Staff (Chief of Defence Staff-equivalent), having served a four-year term in this high profile and well-regarded position in Israel. He is a new arrival to Israeli politics, leading Kahol Lavan, the “Blue and White” Party.

Blue and White is an amalgam that can be loosely placed at the centre of the political spectrum. The leadership consists of 4 men, 3 of whom are former Chiefs of the General Staff, [ * ] The party’s platform emphasizes global collaboration on security issues and Israeli democracy that recognizes Arab Israelis as equal citizens and requires religious Jews to serve in the army. On the conflict with the Palestinians, Blue and White’s platform supports a “united” Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, continued Israeli control over the Jordan Valley, and retaining settlement blocs in the West Bank, along with a willingness to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians.

Mr. Gantz is married and has four children. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College and the National Security College, has a Bachelor’s degree in history from the Tel Aviv University, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Haifa University and another Master’s Degree in management of national resources from the National Defence University (NDU) in the US.

Italy – Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte

Background

Canada and Italy are generally like-minded in their approaches to global and regional issues, [ * ]

The new government is focused on economic growth, including through increased exports. [ * ] Tackling the effects of climate change figures prominently in the government’s agenda, which is focusing on investments to accelerate an environmentally and socially sustainable energy transition.

Trade between Canada and Italy totalled $12 billion in 2018, an increase of 15.2 percent over 2017, making Italy Canada’s 8th largest merchandise trading partner, and 3rd most important in the EU. Canadian exports increased by 32.8 percent in 2018, totalling $3.04 billion. Canadian imports from Italy continued to improve with growth of 10.2 percent totalling $8.98 billion. Bilateral trade in services in 2018 was $1.9 billion. Canadian service exports totalled $484 million and service imports were $1.4 billion.

[ * ] Since the closing of the Canadian Embassy in Tehran in 2012, Italy has been Canada’s protecting power in Iran.

[ * ]

You last met Prime Minister Conte in August at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The next opportunity to meet him will be at the NATO Leaders Summit in London, December 3-4. This fall, Veterans Affairs Canada is organizing a commemorative tour of Italy by veterans of the Italian campaign to mark the 75th anniversary of the campaign’s end.

[ * ]

Giuseppe Conte

Prime Minister of Italy

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was first appointed President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic (i.e., Prime Minister) by President Mattarella on June 1, 2018. For 14 months, he led a coalition [ * ] Conte was chosen by these two disparate partners as a compromise candidate. In August 2019, he resigned in the face of a no-confidence motion tabled by League leader Matteo Salvini, [ * ] President Mattarella invited Conte to seek an alternative coalition in Parliament, and eventually granted him another mandate to govern. Conte’s Cabinet, formed of the M5S, the centre-left Democratic Party and the left-wing Liberi e Uguali was approved by Parliament in August.

[ * ]

Prime Minister Conte is a civil lawyer and law professor. He was born in 1964 in Volturara Appula, a small city in the southern region of Apulia. He graduated in law from Sapienza University in Rome in 1988. He is [ * ] a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cardinal Tardini Charitable Trust, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is fluent in English and traveled to Canada for the 2018 G7 Summit in Charlevoix, his first international engagement following his first investiture.

Japan – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Background

Japan is the third-largest economy, Canada’s third-largest exports market, and a like-minded partner on the world stage, including at the G7, G20, UN, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and in other forums. [ * ] On October 22, the Chief Justice, the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, represented Canada at a ceremony proclaiming His Majesty Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement.

Prime Minister Abe is right-of-centre, with a robust approach to regional security. He is set to become Japan’s longest-serving, post-war Prime Minister. Victory in recent Upper House elections (July 2019) confirmed his strength. He hosted the G20 Summit in Osaka in June.

Prime Minister Abe visited Ottawa in April 2019. [ * ] You met again at the G7 in Biarritz [ * ]

[ * ]

[ * ] Prime Minister Abe’s signature foreign policy initiative is the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP) – a vision for regional development and integration that encompasses security, development, infrastructure, and commercial initiatives. Canada shares Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, based on the rule of law.

Commercial ties continue to expand, particularly with the entry-into-force of the CPTPP. Japan is also a significant investor in Canada – Toyota’s decision to bring Lexus production to its Cambridge plant in April, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation’s September decision to establish a presence in Montreal, are recent examples. Japan also participates in WTO reform efforts, and is a member of the Canada-led Ottawa Group initiative.

[ * ]

Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister of Japan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was re-elected for a fourth term after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its ally, the Komeito, secured a two-thirds majority in Japan’s House of Representatives in October 2017. Bolstered by the absence of a strong opposition, PM Abe is firmly in control of the political agenda and confident in his position as Prime Minister. He was re-elected for a record third term as leader of the LDP on September 20, 2018.

Prime Minister Abe is from a prominent political family – his paternal grandfather was prime minister and his father was foreign minister. Prime Minister Abe has been elected to the House of Representatives since 1993, and was first elected prime minister in 2006. He stepped down within a year [ * ] He was re-elected prime minister in December 2012, December 2014 and October 2017.

Prime Minister Abe’s political views are shaped by his desire to build a strong Japan. He has pursued an agenda to reinvigorate Japan’s economy (a package of economic reforms known as Abenomics), reinforce its role on the international and regional stages, strengthen its security alliance with the US, and enhance economic and security cooperation with other countries. Abe’s leadership was instrumental in maintaining multilateral momentum to establish the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

[ * ]

Prime Minister Abe was born on September 21, 1954, in Tokyo. [ * ] He studied Political Science and Law at Seikei University, as well as English and Political Science at the University of Southern California. He is married to Akie Abe, with whom he visited Canada when they were a young couple.

Prime Minister Abe last visited Canada in April 2019, the last stop of his global tour to coordinate with select countries in advance of the G20 Osaka Summit. Prior to this, he visited Canada in June 2018, for the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Charlevoix. [ * ]

Mexico – President Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Background

You last spoke with then-President-Elect López Obrador over the phone on October 26, 2018 [ * ]

President López Obrador was inaugurated on December 1st, 2018 with strong mandate (53% of vote) and majorities for his political movement, MORENA, in both houses of congress and a plurality of governorships. He remains popular. He is focused on poverty reduction, addressing corruption and insecurity. He has not travelled internationally since becoming President.

The 2016 visa lift improved Canadian relations with Mexico and resulted in an increase in Mexican tourism to Canada. [ * ]

Mexico ratified the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in June 2019. [ * ]

The López Obrador administration is spearheading the “Comprehensive Development Plan” (CDP), which seeks international investment in infrastructure and development projects to address the root causes of irregular migration from Central American countries.

[ * ]

Andrés Manuel López Obrador

President of Mexico

President López Obrador was elected on July 1, 2018 (inaugurated on Dec. 1st, 2018) for a six-year mandate. He represents the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), which he founded in 2014, and which is part of a coalition which includes the Social Encounter Party (PES) and the Labour Party (PT). President López Obrador garnered the most popular votes of any presidential candidate since Mexico’s democratization in 2000, with 53 percent of the vote.

Among President López Obrador’s domestic priorities are (1) inclusive and progressive economic growth; (2) improved security and strengthened rule of law (including with regard to corruption); and (3) reduced poverty. Mexico’s foreign policy priorities include (1) reframing the relationship with the US; (2) regional focus on Central America; (3) addressing root development causes of irregular migration, and (4) returning to a more traditional, non-interventionist foreign policy.

[ * ]

Previously, President López Obrador ran in the 2006 and 2012 Presidential elections in Mexico under the banner of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), which he first joined in 1989. He was Mayor of Mexico City from 2000 to 2005, creating social and housing programs, and achieving a significant decrease in crime. His political career began in 1976, when he was member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

[ * ]

President López Obrador speaks Spanish.

NATO – Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

Background

You will have an opportunity to meet Secretary General Stoltenberg at the NATO Leaders Meeting on December 3-4 in London, UK. The Leaders’ Meeting will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Alliance and highlight NATO’s readiness to address and adapt to new and emerging security threats. You last met with the Secretary General during his visit to Ottawa July 15, 2019.

[ * ] Canada has contributed to every NATO military operation, and is currently serving in three concurrent operational leadership roles (in Latvia, Iraq, and the NATO Maritime Group in the Mediterranean). [ * ]

On October 6, the US announced that it would withdraw its forces from northeast Syria and on October 9, Turkey begun security operations against Kurdish groups in the area, which it considers terrorists. [ * ]

Jens Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General

Mr. Stoltenberg took office as Secretary General of NATO on October 1, 2014 and, his term having been extended in 2017, will remain in the role until September 2020. Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister of Norway from 2000-2001 and again from 2005-2013, and has held a number of international assignments, including UN Special Envoy on Climate Change. [ * ]

While Mr. Stoltenberg was Prime Minister, Norway’s defence spending increased steadily, with the result that Norway is today one of the Allies with the highest per capita defence expenditure [ * ] Mr. Stoltenberg was also instrumental in transforming the Norwegian armed forces, having had a strong focus on developing deployable, high-end capabilities. Under his leadership, Norway deployed forces to various NATO operations.

Mr. Stoltenberg is a strong supporter of enhanced transatlantic cooperation, including better burden-sharing across the Atlantic. He sees NATO and the EU as complementary organisations in terms of securing peace and prosperity in Europe and beyond.

Mr. Stoltenberg holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from the University of Oslo. He is married to Ingrid Schulerud. They have two adult children.

Netherlands – Prime Minister Mark Rutte

Background

[ * ]

Bilateral trade with Canada was approximately $9.2 billion in 2018. Canadian merchandise exports to the Netherlands increased to $4.7 billion in 2018, while merchandise imports increased to $4.5 billion. In the 21 months since the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was provisionally applied, bilateral merchandise trade has increased by 35.2 percent compared to the same pre-CETA period. [ * ]

The Netherlands is the second largest geographic source of foreign direct investment in Canada, after the US. The stock of Dutch direct investment in Canada was valued at $106.7 billion in 2018, a 4.8 percent increase from 2017. In 2018, there was a $40 billion LNG Canada investment in British Columbia in which Shell holds a 40 percent share. The ties forged from Canada’s role in the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War and these strong commercial relations have led to significant people-to-people ties. There is an approximately one million-strong community of Canadians of Dutch origin.

[ * ]

You and Prime Minister Rutte interacted at the June 2019 G20 Summit in Osaka and during D-Day commemorations in the United Kingdom. PM Rutte visited Ottawa in October 2018, during which he delivered the first ever address by a Dutch Prime Minister to the Canadian parliament. Governor General Julie Payette paid a visit to the Netherlands in August 2019 to participate in WWII commemorative events and highlight Canada’s role in liberation of the Netherlands. She met with King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Rutte during her visit.

The next opportunity for a leader-level meeting will be at the NATO Leaders Summit in London, December 3-4. [ * ]

Mark Rutte

Prime Minister of the Netherlands

Prime Minister Mark Rutte was first sworn in as Prime Minister of the Netherlands in October 2010. His centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) won a third mandate in March 2017. After a record-breaking 209 days of negotiations, he reached an agreement on a new coalition government with the Democrats '66 (D66), Christian Democrat Appeal (CDA) and Christian Union (CU). This coalition held a single-seat majority in both upper and lower houses until provincial elections in March 2019, which led to a loss of the coalition’s majority in the Senate. His government now requires the support of other parties [ * ] to pass future legislation, including CETA.

[ * ] The Netherlands held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2018, having agreed to split the 2017-18 term with Italy [ * ]

Prime Minister Rutte has led the VVD since mid-2006. He served under former Prime Minister Balkenende as State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science (2004 to 2006) and as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment (2002 to 2004). Born in The Hague in 1967 [ * ] Prior to his entry into politics, he obtained a Master’s degree in history from Leiden University and worked as a human resources executive for Unilever. Even as Prime Minister, he has continued his longstanding practice of teaching a Dutch and social studies class every week. [ * ] He is single and has never married.

Prime Minister Rutte made an official visit to Canada in October 2018. He speaks English and French [ * ]

New Zealand – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Background

You last met Prime Minister Ardern in Paris for the Christchurch Call to Action Summit, in May 2019. You last spoke to her in September, [ * ] Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Chile offer opportunities for bilateral meetings with New Zealand.

On September 24, at the UN, PM Ardern provided an update on progress made on the Christchurch Call, praising major tech companies for their “substantial, meaningful commitment” to allow in-depth industry collaboration. Global support for the pact now stands at 51 countries (if one includes the EU). Domestically, PM Ardern’s government introduced a bill for second tranche of gun reforms. The bill mandates an online self-service firearms registry, harsher penalties for supplying or selling firearms to an unlicensed person, and establishes a system where health practitioners can notify police with concerns they have about certain individuals.

On September 26, at the UN, Prime Minister Ardern announced that New Zealand would lead on the development of an agreement on Climate Change Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS). The agreement would focus on trade and trade-related measures that contribute to combatting climate change.

New Zealand has announced a ban on single-use plastic bags, which came into effect in July 2019, following a ban on plastic microbeads one year earlier (June 2018). New Zealand has not endorsed the Oceans Plastics Charter.

[ * ]

Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister of New Zealand

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand on October 26, 2017. Her Labour Party leads a minority coalition with NZ First, supplemented by a “supply and confidence” agreement with the Green Party (which remains outside the government). Next election is due in Fall 2020 (three year term).

Prime Minister Ardern describes herself as a social democrat, a progressive, a republican, and a feminist. She is an advocate of women’s rights and supports the liberalization and decriminalization of abortion. She has spoken in support of trade unions, the right of free access to tertiary education, and in 2013 voted in favour of a bill enabling same-sex couples to legally marry.

Prime Minister Ardern has pledged to combat widening poverty and inequality. She backs the welfare state as a necessary safety net for those unable to support themselves. In May 2019, her Cabinet introduced New Zealand’s first wellbeing budget.

Prime Minister Ardern’s other priorities include addressing climate change, with a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; restoring agriculture within the emissions trading scheme; tackling gender inequality and improving women’s lives in the home and workplace; and resetting Crown-Indigenous (Māori) relations.

Prime Minister Ardern joined the Labour Party as a teenager. After university, she worked as a researcher for then-Foreign Minister Phil Goff and then-Prime Minister Helen Clark. She subsequently worked as a senior policy advisor in the UK’s Cabinet Office under then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Prime Minister Ardern was elected as a Labour MP in 2008, returning to parliament in 2011 and 2014. On March 7, 2017, she was unanimously elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party and on August 1, 2017, became leader after her predecessor resigned.

Prime Minister Ardern attended the University of Waikato, graduating with a Bachelor of Communication Studies in politics and public relations. She is engaged to television presenter Clarke Gayford and they have a daughter, Neve, born in 2018.

South Africa – President Cyril Ramaphosa

Background

President Ramaphosa last met with you at the G7 Summit in Biarritz in August 2019. You briefly spoke at the G20 Summit in Osaka in June 2019, and had a phone conversation in February 2019 [ * ]

South Africa is the only African member of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa group (BRICS) and the G20, and a non-permanent UN Security Council member for 2019-20. [ * ]

The President is also the incoming chairperson of the African Union in 2020 and he will host the next African Union Summit in Ethiopia on January 30-31. [ * ]

South Africa is celebrating 25 years of democracy this year. The year 2020 will also mark the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s first speech to the Canadian Parliament, which took place on June 18, 1990. [ * ]

[ * ]

South Africa is the largest export destination for Canadian products and services in Africa ($1.38 billion in bilateral trade in goods and $703 million in services in 2018). Bilateral investment is also strong, with Canadian foreign investment in South Africa amounting to $2.6 billion and South African direct investment in Canada amounting to $757 million.

Canadian international assistance to South Africa totaled $12.36 million in 2017-18, focused primarily on inclusive governance to help build the capacity of the Government of South Africa. South Africa is a Contact Group member of the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations.

[ * ]

Cyril Ramaphosa

President of South Africa

Elected President for a five-year term in May 2019. He was elected president of his party, the African National Congress (ANC) in 2017 and elected President of South Africa by the National Assembly in 2018 following the resignation of Jacob Zuma. His current mandate’s top priorities continue to be inclusive economic growth, attracting investment, job creation (particularly for the youth), and tackling corruption. [ * ]

Served as Deputy President of South Africa from 2014 to 2018. [ * ] Prior to his political career, he was an anti-apartheid activist, a trade union leader as well as a business leader. He was the ANC’s chief negotiator during the transition from apartheid to democracy, and therefore played a critical role in negotiating a peaceful end to apartheid and a path to South Africa’s first democratic elections.

Visited the Canadian High Commission on multiple occasions in the 1990s, as a meeting space for anti-apartheid leaders. He served on the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which developed Responsibility to Protect under Canadian leadership.

During South Africa’s presidency of the African Union (AU) in 2020, President Ramaphosa will be Chair of the AU General Assembly. [ * ]

South Korea – President Moon Jae-In

Background

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is an important partner in Asia in terms of our trade relations, our science and technology collaboration, and our security cooperation in Northeast Asia. South Korea is Canada’s sixth largest trading partner and Canada’s only bilateral Free Trade Agreement partner in Asia.

Canada and South Korea upgraded bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2014, and have since implemented a free trade agreement (2015) and a Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Agreement (2017). Canada and Korea share strong people-to-people linkages. Over 200,000 Canadians identify as being of Korean origin, and over 27,000 Canadians currently reside in South Korea.

President Moon was elected on May 9, 2017, following the impeachment of his predecessor PARK Geun-hye. He leads a centre-left government focused on a policy of engagement with North Korea and navigating complex US-China dynamics in the region. 

You last met President Moon on the margins of G20 Osaka Summit in June 2019. Prior to this, you met in New York in September 2017 when you both received the Global Citizen Award from the Atlantic Council. In 2018, Governor General Julie Payette met with President Moon when she visited South Korea to attend the Winter Olympic Games.

[ * ]

Possible near term opportunities to meet with President Moon include [ * ] Asia-Pacific Cooperation (APEC) Summits.

[ * ]

Moon Jae-in

President of South Korea

President Moon Jae-in was elected on 9 May 2017 as the 12th and current President of the Republic of Korea, after the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye in December 2016. He leads the Minjoo (Democratic) Party. His priorities are focused on strengthening the economy and creating jobs; stabilization on the Korean Peninsula; and government transparency.

President Moon is a former human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist. He started his political career with former president Roh Moo-hyun, serving in various capacities during Roh’s presidency (2003-2008), including Chief of Staff. In this role, President Moon supported Roh’s vision for increased dialogue and cooperation with North Korea under the so-called “Sunshine Policy.” He was elected to the National Assembly in 2012 and won the Democratic United Party nominee for president in the same year. He lost the 2012 election to Park Geun-hye.

[ * ]

President Moon was born on 24 January 1953 in Geoje Island, South Korea. [ * ] President Moon [ * ] is married to Kim Jung-sook, with a son and a daughter.

United Nations – Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Background

You last met with Secretary-General Guterres on the margins of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019. You spoke about the importance of multilateral institutions for promoting open, inclusive, peaceful societies and of working closely together to maintain momentum on combatting climate change.

You did not attend the annual high-level week of the UN General Assembly in September, as it fell during the election campaign. Canada’s delegation was headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador for Climate Change attended the SG’s Climate Action Summit (CAS).

[ * ] the Climate Action Summit in September [ * ] it has helped keep climate change at the top of the global agenda. [ * ]

In addition to climate change, the Secretary-General’s ongoing priorities include mobilizing coordinated responses to international security threats and humanitarian crises; advocating for respect for human rights and international law; mobilizing financing and collective action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and addressing the dire financial situation of the UN (member states owe more than US$7 billion in assessed contributions), while continuing implementation and operationalization of reform measures.

In his September address to the General Assembly, Secretary-General Guterres referred to his fear of the possibility of a “Great Fracture” between the US and China and stressed the importance of maintaining a universal system. He can be expected to use the 75th anniversary of the founding of the UN in 2020 as an occasion to showcase the work of the UN and to raise public awareness about the importance of a rules-based international system with strong multilateral institutions.

Secretary-General Guterres has steadily advanced his reform agenda focused on the UN’s peace and security architecture, development system, and internal management practices, with the objective of increasing the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the UN. Canada has been a strong supporter.

In March 2018, Secretary-General Guterres launched the Action for Peacekeeping initiative to refocus UN peacekeeping. Canada, in turn, has supported efforts aimed at improving the effectiveness of UN peace operations, including contributions of critically needed high-end military capabilities (such as medical evacuation helicopters deployed to Mali); establishing the Vancouver Principles on the prevention of use and recruitment of child soldiers in contexts where the UN operates, and the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations to expand the meaningful participation of uniformed women in UN peace operations.

[ * ]

António Guterres

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Secretary-General António Guterres became United Nations Secretary-General in January, 2017, following his election by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in its 71st session in October 2016. The appointment is for five years, with an informal process in place for extending for a second term.

Secretary-General Guterres was elected on a reform mandate. He vowed to make the UN more field-oriented and less bureaucratic. He also committed to uphold a strategic commitment to channel resources to crisis prevention rather than mitigation, and address regional diversity and gender gaps with the aim of ensuring that the UN can deliver on the 2030 Agenda and adapt to the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. The reforms he has advanced have upended decades-old structures, particularly in the areas of peace and security, sustainable development and internal management and are strengthening efficiency, transparency and accountability in the UN system.

Secretary-General Guterres has also prioritized the role of the UN in addressing climate change, convening a climate summit on the margins of the Opening of the 74th Session of the General Assembly in September 2019. He has also dedicated efforts to push for strengthened cooperation on digital technologies, including regulation as well as adapting these technologies to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General, from 2005-2015 Guterres served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC). During his mandate, he headed the UNHRC through severe humanitarian crises, including the conflicts in Syria and Iraq as well as the repression of the Rohingya in Myanmar and the crises in South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Yemen.

Before joining the UNHCR, Secretary-General Guterres served as Prime Minister of Portugal (1995-2002). He was first elected to the Portuguese Parliament in 1976. Secretary-General Guterres was born in Lisbon in 1949 and graduated from the Instituto Superior Tecnico with a degree in engineering. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. He is married and has two adult children.

Ukraine – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Background

You spoke with President Zelenskyy the day after his election and met with him on July 2 in Toronto during the third Ukraine Reform Conference, co-hosted by Canada and Ukraine.

Since January 2014, Canada has committed more than $785 million in assistance to Ukraine, including $400 million in loans to help Ukraine stabilize its economy, and more than $350 million in development, peace and stabilization and humanitarian assistance. There are approximately 200 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel serving in Ukraine under the military training mission Operation UNIFIER, now extended until March 2022. Canada and Ukraine have a free trade agreement [ * ] In 2018, Canada’s merchandise exports totalled $220 million and imports $126 million. For the 2019 Ukrainian elections, Canada committed $24 million in support of initiatives that included the largest bilateral Electoral Observation Mission.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy became President of Ukraine in April 2019 and Ukraine’s new Cabinet is the youngest, most gender-balanced and most reform-oriented in Ukraine’s history. Since the 2013-14 Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine has achieved macroeconomic stabilization and implemented a number of reforms, in particular on strengthening its armed forces, public health, public procurement, decentralization and banking sector. [ * ]

[ * ]

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

On April 21, during the second round of the 2019 presidential elections, Volodymyr Zelenskyy beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko by an overwhelming margin (73 to 24 percent). Following snap elections on July 21, his party won an equally overwhelming mandate in parliament.

During his presidential campaign, President Zelenskyy emphasized his support to the Euromaidan movement and put a focus on the need to fight corruption.

President Zelenskyy’s top priorities are peace, fighting corruption, promoting economic growth, improving the business climate, land market reform and E-governance.

He made his first official visit to Canada on July 1-3, 2019, attending the Ukraine Reform Conference in Toronto.

President Zelenskyy was a screenwriter, actor, and director, known for his role as an ordinary schoolteacher who becomes President of Ukraine in the popular “Servant of the People” TV Series. Until earlier this year, President Zelenskyy was an artistic director at the Studio Kvartal-95.

Although Zelenskyy studied law at the Kyiv National Economic University, he has never worked in that field.

President Zelenskyy was born on January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk oblast (region). He speaks Ukrainian, Russian and some English. He is married to Olena Zelenska, and the couple have a daughter and son.

United Kingdom – Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Background

You had your first bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit in France in August 2019 [ * ] It is likely that the next opportunity for you and Prime Minister Johnson to meet is at the NATO Leaders’ meeting in London, December 3-4.

The UK Government has focused on projecting “Global Britain” post-Brexit. A key element of this is a media freedom campaign that included a Global Conference for Media Freedom in July 2019, co-chaired by Canada. Another focus is climate change, with the UK hosting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties in 2020.

Brexit continues to dominate the UK political landscape. [ * ]

Canadian merchandise exports to the UK totalled $16 billion in 2018 and imports from the UK totalled $9.2 billion. [ * ] In March 2019, the UK announced a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff schedule for all WTO members on 95 percent of applied tariff lines for the first 12 months: [ * ]

Boris Johnson

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Prime Minister Boris Johnson became Prime Minister on July 24, 2019, taking over after the resignation of Theresa May. His mandate runs, officially, until the next scheduled General Election in 2022, but an election could take place on short notice, due to [ * ] Brexit.

[ * ]

Prime Minister Johnson became prime minister after defeating UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt by a large margin in a vote by Conservative Party members, which comprise about 160,000 members. Brexit was the primary focus of the leadership race, and PM Johnson campaigned on a platform of leaving the EU with or without a deal on October 31, 2019.

Prime Minister Johnson served as Foreign Secretary from July 2016 to July 2018, during which time he worked closely in cooperation with Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Foreign Minister at the time, [ * ]

Prime Minister Johnson was the Mayor of London (2008 to 2016) after serving seven years as the MP for Henley. He played a leading role in the winning Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He is a former journalist who maintained a weekly newspaper column until becoming Prime Minister.

United States – President Donald Trump

Background

[ * ]

You last met President Trump at the G7 Summit in August in France. Next possible meetings: [ * ] the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, November 16 to 17 in Santiago, Chile.

[ * ]

Canada and the US both benefit from longstanding, well-entrenched, highly successful defence (NATO, NORAD) and national security cooperation (counter-terrorism, law enforcement, intelligence, emergency management).

[ * ]

Energy security is a high priority for President Trump. TransCanada’s Keystone XL, Enbridge’s Lines 3 and 5 and Hydro Quebec’s electricity project face delays in the US due to lawsuits, community opposition, and state regulatory hurdles.

On October 6, the US announced that it would withdraw its forces from northeast Syria. On October 9, Turkey began security operations against Kurdish groups in the area, which it considers terrorists. [ * ] NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg travelled to Turkey on October 11 to share his concerns about the Turkish operation.

[ * ]

Donald Trump

President of the United States of America

Former real-estate developer, TV producer and businessman, Donald J. Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States (US) in November 2016, and was sworn in, succeeding Barack Obama, on January 20, 2017. President Trump became the fourth US candidate to win the Electoral College despite receiving fewer popular votes than his opponent. His victory marked the first time that Republicans would control the White House and both chambers of Congress since 2003. Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 mid-term elections.

[ * ]

Since taking office, President Trump [ * ]. Republicans overwhelmingly approve of his performance while Democrats overwhelmingly disapprove.

[ * ]

President Trump is married to Melania Trump (his third wife) and father to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka, and Eric (with Ivana Trump), Tiffany (with Marla Maples), and Barron (with Melania Trump). He has seven grandchildren.

Abbreviations dictionary