Minister Joly to attend Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting and NATO Summit

June 21, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that she will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, from June 22 to 25 to attend the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting. The Minister will then travel to Madrid, Spain, from June 28 to 30 to attend the NATO Leaders’ Summit along with Prime Minister Trudeau.

While in Kigali, Rwanda, Minister Joly will join Prime Minister Trudeau at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She will also participate in a series of meetings with her counterparts to discuss global and regional pressing issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the food security crisis and climate change as well as the impacts of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.

Minister Joly will highlight throughout the meetings the core values and principles that are the foundation of the Commonwealth: free and open democratic societies, and the promotion of peace and prosperity for all people. She will also participate in an event on advancing gender equality, ending violence against women and girls and promoting women’s equal participation in leadership and decision-making.

At the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Madrid, Spain, Minister Joly will meet with Allies and Partners to work on collective actions to address transatlantic security challenges, particularly President Putin’s unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and its wide reaching impacts.

Allies will also review NATO’s efforts to evolve and adapt to the changing security environment and set a course for the Alliance’s future through tangible actions. These efforts will ensure that NATO remains strong, united and ready to tackle any challenge to Allied security.