Thank you very much, Madam President. Thank you for the honour of receiving myself and my ministerial colleagues, our delegation here. The hospitality and the quality of the conversations and the spirit of action have been tremendous.

I have to say I’m not surprised. When I was hosting the G7 earlier this year, my first invitation to a leader was to President Sheinbaum as a reflection of the importance of the Canadian-Mexican relationship, but also the value of your leadership and your counsel. You did not disappoint at that meeting, and we all took many lessons from your words.

I would like to thank you again for the incredible soccer ball that you gave to me in Canada whose, it’s a remarkable piece of art, whose beautiful bead work represents the inclusivity of Indigenous peoples and the interconnectedness of communities and nations. It sits in my office of a reminder of those deeper values, and of the World Cup that is coming up.

My invitation to President Sheinbaum reflects Mexico’s vital role and its growing impact on the rapidly changing global economy, and is an immediate opportunity to start strengthening the deep and historic friendship between Canada and Mexico.

Now, from the time we first met, and we’ve spoken of the many opportunities to work together, how to elevate an already strong relationship. After all, Canada and Mexico have had diplomatic ties for over 80 years. We have had free trade between our economies for over 30. And that partnership has improved the livelihoods of our workers and their families, and helped make North America the economic envy of the world, not just our economies, but North America, the economic envy of the world.

And we are both committed to our shared partnership with the United States, and we look forward to using the upcoming review of TMEC, USMCA, CUSMA – different acronyms for the same thing – to find ways to make it fairer and more effective.

Bilaterally, Canada and Mexico complement each other’s strengths and we stand united in times of challenge and crisis. We’re acting to protect our communities against the scourge of fentanyl, and we help each other when disaster strikes; and I want to take this opportunity on behalf of all Canadians to personally thank you, Madam President, and the Mexican people, for the support that Mexican firefighters gave to Canada this summer on our Prairie provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, saving Canadian lives, protecting their communities. Thank you.

Now, over those three decades, we’ve reinforced our trading relationship. We’ve enabled our businesses to build more together, created new jobs for our citizens, and created the resources for social cohesion and sustainability. 

And now, the global economy is going through a period of profound change. Supply chains are fragmenting, capital is moving in search of reliable and sustainable returns, and climate change is a daily crisis for businesses, their workers, and communities.

At this hinge moment, Canada is deepening our relationships with our long-standing partners. Partners that share our values and aspire to a better, fairer, and more sustainable world. Mexico is central to those missions. And our agreement today will expand and deepen that partnership so that the next 30 years hold even greater promise than the last 30 years have delivered. Today, we’re beginning a new era of elevated cooperation with a comprehensive, strategic partnership. We will scale up our engagement in foreign affairs, in trade and investment, in agriculture and natural resources, in energy, finance, health, the environment, and public safety and security. 

This means closer collaboration and quicker results in priority sectors in order to grow our economies.

We’ve anchored this partnership in an action plan with four pillars: prosperity, security, inclusivity, and sustainability. It’s our blueprint to build together. So, for prosperity, we’ll prioritize the development of strategic infrastructure, including ports, rail, trade, and energy corridors. We’ll unlock new opportunities for trade and investment, from energy to agriculture to aerospace. We’ll collaborate bilaterally and with the United States to reinforce the strong foundations of our economic integration and our regulatory cooperation with a view to making North America remaining the most competitive region in the world. And we will strengthen the integration of our agri-food value chains and increase bilateral trade and safe and secure agricultural products. We’ll also strengthen our model of controlled and predictable labour migration to meet the unique needs in agriculture, seafood, and processing sectors.

As part of our new action plan, we will create a new bilateral security dialogue to combat transnational organized crime, human smuggling, and cyber crime. To promote inclusivity and well-being, we’ll work together to foster economies grounded in fair, safe, and equitable work environments, and we’ll enhance cooperation and health policy, including addressing health insecurity, infectious diseases, and substance abuse.

Both President Sheinbaum and I, and our citizens, have long recognized that addressing climate change is both a moral duty and a commercial imperative, and accordingly, Canada and Mexico will deepen our cooperation in climate and conservation with action to protect wildlife, reduce emissions, sustainably manage our freshwater resources. We’ll explore cooperation opportunities and mission reductions, investments in renewables, and the development of smart grids. 

Now, it’s a long list, but it’s a subset of what we intend to do. 

So, our ministers and our officials will begin work straight away. For example, our Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food will visit Mexico next month to discuss those opportunities in agricultural trade. Minister LeBlanc will lead a trade mission to Mexico shortly thereafter to build on immediate opportunities in trade and investment. And, of course, in nine months, the world’s game will come to our continent. Canada, Mexico, and the United States co-hosting the World Cup, 48 nations, 16 cities, millions of fans, the biggest tournament in history. 

Now, it’s a little new for Canada. For Mexico, it’s a return to greatness. Your third time hosting the World Cup, after two tournaments filled with iconic moments: Pelé lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy in the Azteca; Maradona scoring one of two goals of the century in ’86, the hand of God scoring the other. The economic boost from the World Cup will go far beyond the field. In Canada alone, it will add $2 billion to our economy. It will build infrastructure that will last long after the last whistle.

And our culture showcased on the biggest stage in the world; and in a divided world, we can be united in our love of the game.

I’m pleased to share that Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport, will serve as our FIFA sherpa to support cooperation and coordination with Mexico and the United States ahead of the World Cup.

Let me conclude just by observing what’s obvious and what’s essential. We are both undertaking massive transformations of our economy: Plan Mexico and Canada Strong. Our efforts will be strengthened by working together.

As President Sheinbaum said at the G7 Summit, and I quote, “In an interdependent world, no country can isolate itself.” And as your predecessor – one of your predecessors – Benito Juarez counselled, “Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz.” And, if I butchered that too much for the translator, “Among individuals, as amongst nations, respect for the rights of others is peace.”

And it’s by balancing this respect for sovereignty and the belief in cooperation that Canada and Mexico will build together for the benefit of our peoples.

Thank you, President Sheinbaum. Thank you. Gracias.