"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, met today in Reykjavík. Iceland and Canada are NATO Allies and cooperate closely, both bilaterally and multilaterally, based on shared values, strong commitment to multilateralism and international law, and longstanding people-to-people ties. Their discussion covered Arctic affairs, security and defence, shared geopolitical priorities, and opportunities to strengthen trade, investment and innovation partnerships.
As Arctic nations, Canada and Iceland share a commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Arctic. In this context, the Ministers underscored their support for a strengthened NATO presence and posture in the Arctic and North Atlantic region. They also welcomed enhanced security and defence cooperation between Iceland and Canada in line with the updated Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year.
Close coordination on shared geopolitical priorities, particularly on the Arctic and North Atlantic, remains an important aspect of this partnership. The Ministers highlighted the current co-location of Canada and Iceland's diplomatic offices in Nuuk as a practical example of that cooperation.
On Ukraine, the Ministers reaffirmed their solidarity with the country and its people, their full support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and their commitment to supporting Ukraine's resilience.
Turning to sustainable development in the Arctic, the Ministers emphasized the need to foster economic opportunities across the region. They also stressed the value of active and meaningful participation by Indigenous peoples and youth in Arctic affairs.
The Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing gender equality and the rights of women and girls, and promoting women's full, equal and meaningful participation in leadership and decision-making across all areas of society.
To strengthen bilateral economic ties, the Ministers expressed their common resolve to foster closer links between industry, academia and government to support economic opportunities, advance technological innovation, and promote sustainable growth in both countries. They also welcomed the ongoing discussions to explore the modernization of the Free Trade Agreement between the EFTA States and Canada.
Furthermore, the Ministers agreed to establish an Embassy-led Canada-Iceland geothermal network bringing together the private sector, Indigenous partners and relevant government stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaboration, including in northern and remote communities. This cooperation reflects a shared common purpose in advancing green energy solutions and accelerating the development and deployment of innovative clean technologies.
The Ministers reaffirmed the strong partnership between Iceland and Canada, and their shared commitment to advancing practical cooperation in support of secure, prosperous and resilient Arctic and North Atlantic region."
