Minister Champagne to travel to United Arab Emirates, Qatar and India

OTTAWA, Canada, 28 February 2017 /PRNewswire Policy/ -- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade, today announced he will visit the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and India from March 1 to 5, 2017. The visit is part of the government's progressive trade agenda, with a focus on economic growth and more jobs for the middle class.

While in the U.A.E., Minister Champagne will meet with business and government representatives, including members of the Canada-U.A.E Business Council, to stimulate investment and reinforce trade relations, particularly in areas such as energy, including renewables, and aerospace. In Dubai, the Minister will attend the Gulfood 2017 trade show, a major event in the agriculture and agri-food sector at which 48 Canadian companies will be represented. The visit will also highlight Canada as a destination of choice for U.A.E investors, students, business travellers and visitors.

In Qatar, Minister Champagne will meet with his counterparts and senior government officials to highlight Canada's strong and stable business climate, which is open for business, investment and trade. The Minister will also meet with key Canadian business leaders on trade opportunities as Qatar expands its infrastructure, energy and education sectors. The visit will build on the 2016 visits to Canada by Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Public Health, and Minister of Education and Higher Education, as well as a Qatari trade and investment mission to Canada.

In New Delhi, India, Minister Champagne will pursue discussions regarding the deepening of trade and investment relations, will raise issues from the Canadian agriculture sector with his counterparts and will also meet with Canadian and Indian business leaders. Promoting trade and investment with emerging markets, including India, which is the world's fastest-growing major economy, is a priority for Canada.

This first official visit for Minister Champagne to the U.A.E., Qatar and India reaffirms Canada's strong relationship with partners in the Middle East and South Asia. It also shows the Government of Canada's commitment to promoting innovation, education, and global trading relationships in order to promote the job creation that fuels economic growth that benefits everyone.

Quotes

“Increasing trade and investment is essential to create long-term growth and stimulate job creation, benefiting our middle class. I am committed to strengthening our relationship with the United Arab Emirates, our largest merchandise export market in the region. While in Qatar, I will pursue our shared goals of enhancing our economic prosperity and deepening our strong ties in the education, energy, and health sectors, among others. In India, I will engage with my counterparts to discuss a framework to provide greater predictability and certainty for our investors. I look forward to visiting these countries, which offer tremendous potential for Canada.”

- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of International Trade

Quick facts

Approximately 40,000 Canadians live in the U.A.E., and 150 Canadian companies have an operational presence there because it serves as a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council and beyond.

The U.A.E. is Canada's largest merchandise export market in the Middle East and North Africa region, with over $1.79 billion in Canadian exports in 2016.

There are roughly 9,000 Canadians living in Qatar working in all sectors of the Qatari economy, including education and health.

Canada's Indo-Canadian community has a history spanning more than a century and today is nearly 1.2 million people strong.

Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and India was worth $7.95 billion in 2016.

Over 400 Canadian companies have a presence in India, with over 1,000 companies actively pursuing business in the market

SOURCE Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada