Canada-Iceland Joint Statement

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, met today in Reykjavík. Iceland and Canada are NATO Allies and cooperate closely, both bilaterally and multilaterally, based on shared values, strong commitment to multilateralism and international law, and longstanding people-to-people ties. Their discussion covered Arctic affairs, security and defence, shared geopolitical priorities, and opportunities to strengthen trade, investment and innovation partnerships.

October 8, 2026 - Reykjavík, Iceland - Global Affairs Canada

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, met today in Reykjavík. Iceland and Canada are NATO Allies and cooperate closely, both bilaterally and multilaterally, based on shared values, strong commitment to multilateralism and international law, and longstanding people-to-people ties. Their discussion covered Arctic affairs, security and defence, shared geopolitical priorities, and opportunities to strengthen trade, investment and innovation partnerships.

As Arctic nations, Canada and Iceland share a commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Arctic. In this context, the Ministers underscored their support for a strengthened NATO presence and posture in the Arctic and North Atlantic region. They also welcomed enhanced security and defence cooperation between Iceland and Canada in line with the updated Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year. 

Close coordination on shared geopolitical priorities, particularly on the Arctic and North Atlantic, remains an important aspect of this partnership. The Ministers highlighted the current co-location of Canada and Iceland’s diplomatic offices in Nuuk as a practical example of that cooperation.