First-ever visit of Lithuania’s Minister of Economy and Innovation to Canada: strengthening high-tech partnership
Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas will pay a working visit to Canada on April 23–27 – marking the first-ever visit of Lithuania’s Minister of Economy and Innovation to the country in the history of independent Lithuania. The visit signals a new phase in bilateral relations, aimed at strengthening economic partnership and expanding cooperation in high value-added sectors.
“We see strong potential to cooperate in the most advanced fields – therefore Lithuania, as a high-tech country, offers Canada a high-tech partnership. Our goal is to build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that strengthen the resilience of both economies, innovation ecosystems, and international competitiveness,” said Minister Grikšas.
During the visit, the Minister will hold meetings with high-level Canadian political decision-makers and business leaders. In Ottawa, meetings are scheduled with Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Development Carlos Leitão, and the Canada–Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Group.
At the provincial level, the Minister will strengthen economic ties with Ontario and Alberta, with planned meetings with Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development Victor Fedeli, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Artificial Intelligence and Gaming Stan Cho, and Alberta’s Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow.
Particular attention will also be given to the business community – meetings are planned with members of the Canada–Lithuania Chamber of Commerce, the life sciences organization Life Sciences Ontario, Colt Canada, and other companies. The Minister will also participate in events presenting Lithuania’s economic potential and meet with the Lithuanian diaspora.
The visit will cover Toronto, Ottawa, and Calgary, focusing not only on strengthening ties but also on developing concrete cooperation projects and building long-term partnerships. It is expected to be one of the most intensive visits, strongly oriented toward tangible outcomes.
Minister Grikšas emphasized that Lithuania was among the first EU countries to ratify the free trade agreement, and recent statistics show highly successful bilateral trade results between Lithuania and Canada.
In 2025, trade in goods and services increased by 37% and exceeded EUR 300 million for the first time. Lithuania maintains a positive trade balance – exports to Canada exceed imports, and exports of Lithuanian-origin goods grew by as much as 43% over the year, from EUR 113 million to EUR 162 million.
These figures reflect rapidly strengthening economic cooperation between Lithuania and Canada and open new opportunities for trade diversification for both countries. Canada’s participation in SAFE – the European Union’s defense industry cooperation and joint procurement financing program – together with the free trade agreement, provides additional incentives to deepen economic ties and boost exports.