(Ottawa) Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly met her new British counterpart on Monday for the first time since the Labour Party came to power in the United Kingdom last week.
She is the first foreign minister to be invited to meet David Lammy in London since his recent appointment as UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
Last week, the British political landscape changed dramatically, with the Conservative government stepping down after 14 years in power.
PHOTO PAUL ELLIS, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
David Lammy
“Few partnerships can rival the unique relationship between the UK and Canada,” Lammy said in a social media post on Monday.
By reconnecting with our key allies, we will ensure security and prosperity at home and abroad.
David Lammy
The move has revived some hopes in Canada of reaching a free trade deal with the United Kingdom.
M’s officeme Joly said before the meeting that she expected her conversation with Mr Lammy to focus on ways to “deepen bilateral relations” between the two countries.
“We discussed ways to strengthen our partnership and how our countries can continue to work together to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” the minister said in a message on the social network X, after her meeting with Mr. Lammy.
Mme Joly and his counterpart also planned to exchange views on transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and the war in the Middle East.
In London, Mélanie Joly also met with Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and expressed Canada’s commitment to the community of countries linked to the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will be held in October in Samoa.
Mme Joly is then expected to join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.