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Canada, EU Agree on Education, Defense, Justice Cooperation
Canada and the European Union��EU��reached a series of agreements on cooperation in higher education, defense, justice and satellite technology here Tuesday.
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced the "initiatives" after the Canada-EU summit, in which Chretien met with visiting French President Jacques Chirac, who takes the current EU presidency, and Romana Prodi, president of the European Commission.
"These initiatives will further strengthen our cooperation with the European Union," which Chretien described as "one of the strongest political and economic partnerships in the developed world." "Canada can only benefit from our mutual cooperation," he noted.
Under a renewed Canada-European Community agreement, the two sides will allow for more exchange of knowledge and expertise in higher education and training.
The Canada-EU Joint Statement on Defense and Security said that the two sides will enhance bilateral dialogue on issues of European security and defense, "as an expression of the continued commitment to ensuring the peace and security of the Euro-Atlantic area." Unlike the United States, Ottawa sees a proposed European Rapid Reaction Forces as having no impact on NATO and is looking at possible Canadian participation in some EU-led deployments outside NATO, according to Canadian media.
The two sides also stressed the need for concurrent efforts to battle transnational organized crime.
"They commit to increasing their cooperation to fight illicit drug trafficking, high-technology crime, corruption, terrorism, human trafficking and migrant smuggling," a separate statement said.
In another joint document, Canada and the EU said they will explore the scope of cooperation in Satellite Navigation Galileo, in early 2001.
The one-day summit also decided to join hands in providing assistance to developing countries.
The semi-annual meeting, however, has not mentioned any breakthrough on long-standing disputes between the two sides such as farm subsidies.
Canadian officials have said getting Europeans and Americans to lower subsidies is a long-term project.
Prodi has also indicated that it is difficult for the EU to phase out farm subsidies for now to facilitate Canadian farmers in their competition in the European market of 375 million people.
The European Commission chief estimates trade and investment between the EU and Canada at a weekly 1 billion Canadian dollars (about US$655 million).
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