Merve Aydogan
31 August 2026•Update: 31 August 2026
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand will travel to Ireland this week to become the first Canadian foreign minister to take part in an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, known as Gymnich, Global Affairs Canada announced Monday.
Anand will attend the Sept. 1-2 gathering in Wicklow, co-hosted by Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Helen McEntee and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, according to a news release.
Ministers will discuss current geopolitical developments, including the situation in the Middle East and continued support for Ukraine, the statement said.
Anand's visit is also expected to advance the New Canada-EU Strategic Partnership of the Future and strengthen cooperation on economic security, trade diversification and defense ahead of the Canada-EU Leaders' Summit, scheduled for Oct. 29-30 in Canada.
The ministers are expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, with Anand set to reaffirm Canada's support for military assistance, energy security, reconstruction and accountability, the release said.
In a post on US social media platform X, Anand said Canada was “building a more integrated partnership with Europe — one defined by greater ambition, greater influence and greater opportunity.”
"Tomorrow, I'll travel to Ireland as the first Canadian foreign minister to join an EU Gymnich meeting," she wrote, adding that the "new seat at the table comes as our strategic interests increasingly converge, from economic security and collective defence to our steadfast support for Ukraine."
She said that momentum would "carry into a major milestone this October, when Canada hosts the Canada-EU Leaders' Summit and advances our shared transatlantic priorities."
The outreach to Brussels comes as Ottawa's relationship with Washington remains tense, following US tariffs on Canadian goods and deepening friction between Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Trump administration over trade.
The outreach to Brussels comes amid strained relations between Ottawa and Washington after trade talks collapsed earlier this month, prompting both sides to impose tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other’s imports.
