October 13, 2026 - Gatineau, Quebec
The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening its relationship with its European partners and expanding economic avenues for Canada.
Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, and the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the signing of a General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA) with Greece. The signatories were Sonya Thissen, Canada's Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus, and for Greece, Major General Emmanouil Chatzis, Director E Branch at the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, in the presence of Minister of National Defence of Greece Nikolaos Dendias and the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis.
The formal signing, held in Athens, Greece, marks a strategic step in Canada's push to expand its collaboration with a valued and like-minded EU partner. By enabling the secure exchange of classified information, this agreement will strengthen cooperation on trade, innovation, advanced technologies, and security, while creating new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. It will help position Canada as a trusted partner in strategic sectors, support economic growth, and contribute to building a stronger, more competitive Canadian economy.
Canada and Greece share a dynamic and growing economic relationship rooted in shared democratic values, strong people-to-people ties, and important trade, investment, and innovation partnerships. As maritime nations, Canada and Greece also share strategic interests in areas such as naval security, coastal infrastructure protection, and maritime intelligence.
The GSOIA builds on these deep existing foundations, further enabling the secure exchange of classified information, including in sensitive areas such as defence intelligence and technical data on weapons systems. This helps support our shared security and can enable commercial opportunities by ensuring top-tier security standards for data sharing between authorized contractors and government institutions.
Once in force, the agreement will:
- deepen Canada's engagement with Greece, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally through cooperation in operations, equipment sharing, and shared Atlantic priorities
- expand market access and boost Canadian industry competitiveness in Greece
- facilitate collaboration with Greece's specialized workforce and advanced defence technologies and
- enhance joint efforts in maritime situational awareness, infrastructure protection, and countering transnational threats
