Canada and UAE sign trade agreement under new strategic partnership
Canada and the United Arab Emirates launched a strategic partnership during Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled’s visit to Ottawa. They signed a trade agreement that Canada expects to implement next year, alongside arrangements for defence cooperation and diplomatic training. The visit also advanced discussions linked to an earlier Emirati investment commitment of 70 billion Canadian dollars.
Geopolitics··Morning
Ottawa visit brings a signed trade agreement
Canada and the United Arab Emirates opened a strategic partnership during a visit to Ottawa by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Prime Minister Mark Carney hosted the prince for talks covering economic relations, energy, technology, education, defence, diplomacy and culture. The two governments signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement as part of the visit.[1], [2]
The Canadian government said trade negotiations had taken 47 days and expected implementation the following year. Once implemented, the agreement would reduce or eliminate tariffs on more than 99% of current Canadian exports, according to Ottawa. The announced tariff changes depend on that implementation, while signing was completed during the prince’s two-day visit.[1]
Defence and diplomatic training gain new arrangements
A defence memorandum covers military education and training, defence policy dialogue, joint exercises, defence industry cooperation, cyber security and information sharing. It provides for a joint military committee. A separate memorandum connects Global Affairs Canada, Canada’s foreign affairs department, with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy for diplomatic training. The governments also agreed to open negotiations on extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties, with those legal arrangements still to be negotiated.[1]
Earlier Emirati investment pledge returns to the agenda
The visit included discussions on progress toward the UAE’s investment commitment of 70 billion Canadian dollars. That pledge dates from the previous year. The investment projects included Canada’s Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay railway corridor. These projects formed part of the investment discussions accompanying the new strategic partnership.[1]
Clean energy company Masdar and Natural Resources Canada also announced cooperation, while investment institutions pursued their own contacts. The partnership places those commercial projects alongside a broader programme of contacts between the two states. Individual investment discussions and implementation of the trade agreement remain separate steps in the programme announced during the Ottawa visit.[1]
