Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada Anita Anand at the G7 with her counterparts / Courtesy: @AnitaAnandMP via 'X'

The last showcase of the Canadian presidency of the G20—the foreign ministers' conclave—may have gone well beyond the expectations of the hosts with a glitch-free event, yet it left certain questions, especially those related to tariffs and trade, unanswered.

Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, played a warm, welcoming host to more than a dozen members of her clan drawn not only from member G7 nations but also from eight other outreach countries, including India.

She also held one-to-one meetings with all attending foreign ministers. However, her meeting with Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, on the second and last day of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ conclave in the Niagara Region, landed her in a little hot soup over skipping the subject of tariffs and trade with her US counterpart.

Though Minister Anand and Secretary of State Rubio discussed the strong Canada–United States partnership and cooperation on key global challenges, including stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, peace and security in the Middle East, and the ongoing crisis in Haiti, they did not talk about the “big rupture” in the bilateral trade relations that occurred last month when the US President, Donald Trump, abruptly cancelled talks with Ottawa.

The two neighbors had been trying to reach a settlement to scale back Donald Trump’s protectionist tariffs on Canadian goods.

When confronted with a question at the end of the event press conference about leaving trade off the agenda during her 40-minute meeting with Marco Rubio, Anita Anand defended the lack of trade, saying negotiations on the subject were well left to her colleague, Dominic LeBlanc.

She was rubbed further when asked if Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar could discuss trade with Marco Rubio during their meeting on the sidelines of the summit. Why not her?

“I am respectful of my colleagues’ portfolios, one of whom is Dominic LeBlanc—whose role is to cover Canada-US trade,” she said in her answer to the question.

She held that her job was to build relationships with the United States on other engaging issues from Ukraine to the Middle East to the Arctic.

The minister and the secretary of state also spoke about national and joint efforts to ensure the security of the North American Arctic. The two ministers agreed to continue close cooperation in advancing shared security and foreign policy priorities.

 “From the Gulf of America to the Pacific, safe and open waterways are the backbone of the American economy, carrying U.S. products to markets around the world. We engaged in important discussions with G7 partners today on more coordination in support of U.S. efforts to increase maritime security.

Marco Rubio took to his X handle to say, “Met with Canadian Foreign Minister to further U.S.-Canada coordination on improving the security situation in Haiti, sustaining the ceasefire in the Middle East, and maintaining a free Indo-Pacific.

Meanwhile, the Indian Foreign Minister talked about his meeting with Marco Rubio, saying, “Good to meet @SecRubio. Appreciate his condolences on the loss of lives in the blast in Delhi. Discussed our bilateral ties, focusing on trade and supply chains. Exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East/West Asia situation, and the Indo-Pacific."

 

Good to meet @SecRubio this morning at #G7 FMM.

Appreciate his condolences on the loss of lives in the blast in Delhi.

Discussed our bilateral ties, focusing on trade and supply chains. Exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East/West Asia situation and… pic.twitter.com/W4ps4E7D4L

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 12, 2025

Jaishankar also met foreign ministers of Germany, the UK, Brazil, France, South Africa, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine, and representatives of the European Union.

Anita Anand met with Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the last day of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting. They discussed Ukraine’s economic and governance reforms, as well as the joint efforts being made to advance the work of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

Anita Anand reaffirmed Canada’s strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. She highlighted Canada’s plans to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions and other economic measures and to use its G7 presidency to strengthen these efforts.

The ministers also discussed increasing bilateral cooperation on energy security, recognizing its strategic importance for Ukraine’s resilience, war efforts, and long-term recovery.

During her round of meetings, Anita Anand met Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Minister Anand highlighted Canada’s participation in Security Action for Europe (SAFE) as a commitment to defense cooperation and discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations and addressing ongoing geopolitical challenges.

Both ministers agreed that trade diversification strengthens economic resilience and creates new opportunities for businesses in both countries. They also committed to continuing to further strengthen bilateral and trade relations between Canada and Italy.

Minister Anand expressed that she looks forward to visiting Italy in the new year to continue building on the strong partnership between the two countries.

Anita Anand also met Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. 

The ministers discussed the importance of the defense and trade relationship between Canada and France to meet the challenges of today’s world, including through the promotion of industrial collaboration. In particular, they underscored joint efforts to strengthen transatlantic security, deepen defense cooperation, and expand trade ties in partnership with the European Union.

Minister Anand and Minister Barrot reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and their commitment to advancing peace in the Middle East.

Both ministers agreed that Canada and France share a strong potential for further collaboration in areas such as critical minerals. They discussed ongoing priorities for the G7 as France prepares to assume the G7 presidency next year.