Oana Toiu: Historic invitation for Canada to become EU associate member - catalyst for bilateral relationship

The invitation extended on Wednesday in Strasbourg by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union address, proposing that Canada become the European Union's first "associate member", serves as a catalyst for the bilateral relationship between Romania and Canada, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Toiu stated on Facebook.She noted that the proposal is part of a trend toward accelerated strategic alignment this year and specified that the Romania-Canada relationship agenda rests on four key pillars: nuclear energy, trade, security, and the Romanian community in Canada."This week, on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference, I held a bilateral meeting with the Canadian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Orencsak. Together with experts and institutions from both Romania and Canada in this field, we assessed the excellent results of our collaboration at both technical and political levels and outlined future plans," Toiu stated.According to the acting minister, plans in the nuclear energy sector focus on increasing joint production capacity, exploring financing opportunities offered by Export Development Canada, and jointly promoting the expansion of CANDU technology to other countries in the region. Furthermore, the cooperation aims to support innovation, the use of medical isotopes for oncological treatments, and the development of a regional nuclear energy training center at Cernavoda."We are celebrating 30 years since the commissioning of Unit 1 at Cernavoda and, next year, half a century of nuclear collaboration. The invitation I extended to my counterpart, Foreign Minister Anita Anand, to visit Bucharest prior to the NATO Summit, underscored the importance we attach to security cooperation. Canadian military personnel are on the ground alongside us, contributing directly to vital mine-clearing operations in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea)," the interim minister noted.Regarding defense, Oana Toiu stated that Canada's closer integration with the European military production market creates opportunities for joint investments in Romania."Since the implementation of the CETA free trade agreement in 2017, our bilateral trade has grown by over 70%. Even closer association between Canada and the European market will undoubtedly open new doors for Romanian entrepreneurs. An expanded EU-Canada partnership means much more than just economics; it means rallying the world's major democracies, precisely at a time when unity and resilience are needed most," says Oana Toiu.She says that Romania is "one of the strong anchors of this alliance for the future, because, in our bilateral relationship, the ocean separating us has long since ceased to be anything more than a mere geographical distance," and the two states have strategic projects and clear plans.