42ND INTERPARLIAMENTARY MEETING BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND CANADA

On June 8 and 9, the 42nd inter-parliamentary meeting between the European Union and Canada was held, which Javier Zarzalejos attended as a member of the Delegation for Relations with Canada in the European Parliament. The inter-parliamentary meeting discussed a wide range of issues of relevance to both countries, especially related to areas of potential political cooperation.

On the first day, MEPs from the Delegation for Relations with Canada attended an exchange of views on EU-Canada collaboration on foreign and defense policy in the face of international challenges. They then discussed collaboration on energy security and the regulation of Artificial Intelligence.

42nd EU-Canada Inter-Parliamentary Meeting

On the second day, the MEPs attended several meetings at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). First, they attended an exchange of views on NATO reform and enlargement, as well as on NATO’s relations with the European Union, with Deputy Assistant Secretary General James Appathurai. They then participated in a meeting with the European External Action Service on cooperation between the European Union and Canada in the fight against disinformation and foreign interference.

During his speech, Javier Zarzalejos pointed out the need to ensure the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “Canada has shown leadership and capacity in driving the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism to combat foreign interference and disinformation. We need to foster close cooperation that will allow us to effectively combat this phenomenon that threatens our democracies” – concluded the popular MEP.