Romania-Canada to enhance bilateral ties

Canadian foreign minister Anita Anand held top-level talks in Bucharest that highlighted the common wish to expand bilateral ties.

Corina Cristea, 07.07.2026, 14:00

“Romania and Canada share a growing and deepening Consolidated Partnership, based on our common values ​​and commitment to defend them. We are determined to further advance all our projects of mutual interest, in key areas such as security and defense, nuclear energy, economy, and industrial cooperation”, Romanian president  Nicuşor Dan posted on X after Monday’s meeting in Bucharest with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. He also thanked Canada for its commitment to NATO’s Eastern Flank and for joining the demining mission in the Black Sea.

Earlier, the Canadian official held talks with acting Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu, discussing topics on the agenda of the NATO summit in Ankara, with a focus on the two countries’ contributions to enhancing global security. Minister Țoiu said Romania and Canada have a solid relationship, and their partnership has grown constantly in recent years, highlighting that the two countries are not only NATO allies but also Francophone nations. Oana Țoiu also spoke about the sizeable Romanian community in Canada and said talks also looked at how the expansion of trade relations could take this factor into account.

Trade between Romania and Canada has amounted to some one billion euros in recent years, and the aim is to further grow and expand the bilateral relationship, the Romanian minister said:

“On the bilateral level, the priorities are clear: defense and security, and nuclear energy. A significant part of our talks focused on the refurbishment of Unit 1 and the plans to build Units 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă plant.”

Oana Țoiu spoke about the 30th anniversary of the official inauguration of Unit 1 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, which uses Canadian CANDU technology and noted that Romania, where nuclear energy accounts for 20% of the energy mix, aims to increase this share to 30-40% to keep prices at a level that ensures the competitiveness of Romanian industry.

“Our near 50-year nuclear energy partnership under the Canada-Romania Nuclear Cooperation Agreement is an absolutely strong example of what Canada and Romania can achieve together and a foundation for even greater cooperation in strategic industries. The CANDU reactors at Cernavodă are a tangible example of this cooperation, and what we discussed today was how we can build on that 50-year partnership in the nuclear sector”, the Canadian minister said.

Canada and Romania are “trusted allies” and “friends”, emphasised Anita Anand, adding that talks also focused on deepening partnerships in other strategic areas, such as innovation and advanced industries. She also announced the conclusion of negotiations for an information security agreement and said the document would be signed soon. This agreement will facilitate deeper industrial collaboration and the exchange of classified information, enabling SMEs and the defense industry to work together.