"On the occasion of the first official visit to Benin by a Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Anita Anand and Benin's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Corinne Amori Brunet, pledged to give new impetus to relations between their two countries by strengthening their political dialogue, economic cooperation and shared commitment to peace, security and sustainable development.
"Accompanied by her Beninese counterpart, Minister Anand officially opened the Embassy of Canada in Cotonou. This happy occasion demonstrates Canada's commitment to strengthening its diplomatic presence in Africa and deepening its bilateral relations with Benin, a partner recognized for its ambitious program of economic reforms, its long-term vision for development and its growing role as a regional trade and logistics hub. Already working closely with Benin, notably through sustained development cooperation in key sectors of human and economic development, Canada is now taking a new step forward in its relationship with this trusted partner. The new embassy is also the result of a significant commitment set out in Canada's Africa Strategy and offers an opportunity to strengthen and diversify economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
"To ensure the sustainability of this dynamic, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on political and diplomatic consultations, establishing a permanent consultation mechanism designed to strengthen bilateral dialogue, monitor joint commitments and deepen coordination on regional and international issues of common interest, including the fight against insecurity in West Africa and maritime piracy.
"There were also discussions with Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade, in charge of Industry and the Promotion of Private Investment; Hugues Oscar Lokossou, Minister Delegate in charge of Mobilization of External Resources and Debt Management; and Gildas Agonkan, Minister Delegate to the President of the Republic, in charge of National Defence, illustrating an approach based on the convergence of diplomatic, economic and financial levers in the interests of both countries.
"The ministers welcomed the growth in trade between Benin and Canada, which increased by 77% between 2024 and 2025, reaching a value of Can$77.1 million (31.37 billion CFA francs).
"Together, they set out the partnership's key economic priorities: agribusiness, training, extractive industries, digital technologies, clean energy and sustainable finance. They pledged to continue their efforts to sustain this momentum of increased trade and to strengthen partnerships between businesses in both countries to support the development of value chains that create jobs and generate added value.
"Minister Anand visited the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, a flagship project of Vision 2060. Accompanied by Minister Corinne Amori Brunet, the ministers highlighted the strategic role of this port of embarkation in Benin's economic development and its position as a regional logistics and trade hub. They commended Canada's contribution to the port's ongoing modernization, in the form of a Can$26-million loan from the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund. This investment complements those already undertaken by Benin to strengthen the climate resilience of port infrastructure and promote greater participation by women in the economic opportunities offered by the port sector.
"On the issue of regional challenges, the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to peace, security and stability in West Africa. They discussed the security challenges facing the region and emphasized the importance of strengthened cooperation in the areas of preventing violent extremism, building community resilience and promoting development. In this regard, Canada announced funding of more than Can$5 million (2.03 billion CFA francs) for three initiatives dedicated to regional security.
"The two ministers also reaffirmed their shared commitment to gender equality, women's economic empowerment and inclusion. With this in mind, Canada announced funding of approximately Can$11.5 million (4.68 billion CFA francs) to support a number of projects focusing notably on women's economic empowerment, digital transformation and social inclusion.
"Finally, the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to effective multilateralism, respect for international law and international cooperation based on dialogue, trust and the search for concrete solutions to shared challenges. They emphasized their determination to continue close consultation within international organizations, particularly the United Nations and the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
"Minister Anand expressed her sincere gratitude for the warm welcome and generous hospitality shown by the Government of the Republic of Benin, reaffirming Canada's commitment to building a strong, forward-looking partnership with Benin."
