Italy and Canada enjoy a longstanding friendship, as evidenced by the presence of a large and dynamic community of Italian-Canadians in the country and the increasingly frequent exchanges of official visits. Over the last few years, bilateral cooperation, already extremely solid, has been further strengthened in several fields: from the political to the commercial, scientific and cultural ones, through numerous initiatives aimed at promoting tradition and innovation, science and art, linguistic and cultural heritage of Italy in Canada.
At the multilateral level, Italy and Canada maintain close cooperation within organisations such as the United Nations, NATO and the G7, based on the convergence of interests and similar sensitivities with respect to major global challenges, such as the fight against climate change, environmental protection, respect for human rights and gender equality, the promotion of women’s empowerment and the abolition of the death penalty. In particular, the increased centrality of the G7 – of which Italy assumed the Presidency this year and will be followed by Canada in 2025 – following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has helped to further strengthen and structure the already frequent contacts between the two countries. The “handover of the baton” of the G7 Presidency from Italy to Canada will therefore constitute a crucial moment in giving a strategic twist to Italian-Canadian relations.
In 2022, Italy and Canada celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.
For more information, please visit the official website of the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa.