German foreign minister visits Ottawa for talks on security, tech

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is visiting Canada on Friday, on a side trip during his participation in the UN General Debate in New York. 

Wadephul is due to hold separate talks with his counterpart Anita Anand, Defence Minister David McGuinty and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu in Ottawa.

German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the talks were set to focus on deepening cooperation in the areas of security and defence as well as future technologies, with the aim of fostering a long-term strategic partnership.

Germany and Canada are marking the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to make Canada the first “associate member” of the European Union is also likely to play a role in the talks.

Von der Leyen named technology issues, the production of defence equipment as well as artificial intelligence and Arctic policy as concrete areas for possible closer cooperation between the bloc and Ottawa.

Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, said he was open to the idea of a kind of special EU membership, despite opposition from US President Donald Trump.

Wadephul plans to return to New York in the evening, where he is due to speak for Germany in the UN General Assembly on Saturday, standing in for Chancellor Friedrich Merz.