By Linus Aleke, Abuja
Federal Government (FG), has expressed commitment to strengthen bilateral and economic relations with Canada.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, expressed this commitment during a meeting with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
Amb. Tuggar, who is on a working visit to Canada, noted that Nigeria is Canada’s largest trade partner in Africa.
He called on both countries to strengthen trade ties, given the ongoing implementation of the AfCFTA.
Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alkasim Abdulkadir, in a statement said, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, expressed her country’s committed to supporting socioeconomic development in Nigeria and the wider region for mutual benefit.
Both countries, she said, resolved to take steps to finalise the outstanding MOUs, including the bilateral Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPPA) ahead of the Canadian Trade Mission to Nigeria in June 2024.
The Ministers, the statement disclosed, also discussed regional security in Africa.
Joly equally applauded Nigeria’s leadership role in the region and offered Canada’s support in strengthening stability and democracy in West Africa.
“They also agreed to work together on a range of regional and global issues, ranging from seeking peaceful resolutions to conflicts to multilateral reform and countering disinformation. The bilateral engagement represents a significant step forward in the already robust relations between the two countries,” the statement said.
