Canadian PM visits Poland to boost economic, security ties
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Warsaw on Monday to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss trade, defence and energy cooperation, according to press offices of both governments.
The talks will focus on bilateral relations between Poland and Canada, and the current international situation, particularly security concerns, the Government Information Centre (CIR) said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the schedule presented by the Polish Prime Minister's Office, Tusk will welcome Carney on Monday before noon, Warsaw time. The meeting between the two is expected to last around 40 minutes, after which both will deliver statements to the media.
The agenda also includes a meeting of the delegations from both countries.
Later, at 1pm, Carney is scheduled to hold talks with the new Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the Presidential Palace.
CIR reported in the statement that Poland is Canada's largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2024, exports to Canada totalled USD 2.26 billion, and imports exceeded USD 1 billion. "For several years, we have been recording a trade surplus," it added.
Tusk last met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Poland in January 2025, when Trudeau was still in office. During that visit, the two countries signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement. Following the meeting, the Polish prime minister highlighted cooperation on small modular reactors (SMRs), noting that Canada has been "at the forefront of creating clean nuclear energy" for decades.
This will be Carney's first trip to Poland since taking office in Ottawa in March. He will be accompanied by Industry Minister Melanie Joly, Defence Minister David McGuinty, and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, public broadcaster Radio-Canada reported on Sunday.
The visit will be an opportunity for both countries to announce that they will co-chair next year the annual International Defence Industry Exhibition in the Polish city of Kielce, Europe's third-largest defence and security trade show, as the Canadian government wants to promote the country's defence sector and showcase its innovation, the broadcaster added.
According to a statement by the Canadian Prime Minister's press office, "Carney will meet with Polish counterparts to advance the strategic partnership between Canada and Poland and deepen collaboration on commerce, energy, and defence." He will also meet with business leaders in Warsaw "to promote new industrial partnerships in key sectors, including energy, defence, and aerospace."
The statement noted that "Poland is the fastest growing economy in the European Union," and that both countries cooperate on the military training of Ukrainian troops. Canada has now trained over 45,000 members of the Ukrainian security forces, also in Poland, since 2015.
After talks in Warsaw, Carney will travel to Germany and Latvia.(PAP)
mmr/aj/kgr/
