The Prime Minister’s Office has unveiled a new partnership between Canada and Mexico, termed the Mexico-Canada Action Plan. This initiative comes amid ongoing tariff challenges imposed by the U.S. administration, which has accused both countries of facilitating illicit fentanyl smuggling.

The action plan emphasizes phrases like "deepen cooperation" and "advance initiatives," but it lacks concrete commitments or benchmarks for what this partnership entails. In the section on bilateral security cooperation, there are no promises to increase the presence of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers in Mexico. Instead, the document outlines intentions to monitor and share research on synthetic drug trends, enhance public health responses, improve weapon traceability, and boost financial intelligence exchange.

In a separate development, Canada and Germany have also announced a Joint Declaration of Intent, framed as a new partnership. This agreement was made during a recent visit to Berlin. Germany has been seeking increased natural gas exports from Canada, a request that has been ongoing for several years. However, the declaration focuses on the strategic importance of critical minerals for both nations' economic and national security.

While the document lacks specific action items, it does propose the formation of a Task Force on Critical Minerals Cooperation. This task force will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the cooperation areas outlined in the declaration. The agreement mentions encouraging joint research and development in strategic areas, including advanced processing and recycling technologies.

Additionally, the EU-Canada Strategic Defence Partnership has been established, which some view as a response to Canada’s exclusion from the AUKUS defense pact involving the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Unlike AUKUS, which includes specific military commitments, the EU-Canada partnership does not entail any concrete military actions or deployments. Instead, it reiterates existing collaborations, such as contributions to UN peacekeeping operations and regular dialogues on counterterrorism.

Overall, these recent agreements highlight Canada’s efforts to strengthen its international partnerships, though critics may question the lack of specific commitments and actionable plans in these documents.