A reception meant to cap off a day of meetings between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Italian counterpart was abruptly cancelled on Saturday after protesters blocked entrances to the venue and kept key figures, including the guests of honour, from getting in.
Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 office confirmed neither he nor Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were able to enter the Art Gallery of Ontario, which briefly went into lockdown as demonstrators shouting pro-Palestinian slogans packed the area where would-be guests were awaiting admission.
They included International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen, who was unable to enter the gallery through the front entrance and walked two blocks while flanked by police to find an alternative.
The disruption marked a tumultuous ending to an otherwise cordial day of meetings in Toronto, during which Trudeau and Miloni said they agreed to establish the Canada-Italy Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation.
The two prime ministers issued a joint statement saying their agreement will further deepen their countries害羞草研究所� political, economic and strategic ties by setting out plans to collaborate over the next three to five years in priority areas.
Those include energy security and the shift to a sustainable energy future, climate change and biodiversity, migration, sustainable economic growth, and research and innovation, including artificial intelligence.
The two G-7 members plan to review progress on the development of the roadmap at a meeting this June in Italy.
Speaking in front of reporters before heading behind closed doors on Saturday morning, Trudeau commended Meloni害羞草研究所檚 leadership as Italy presides over this year害羞草研究所檚 G7 summit, adding he is looking forward to working with her to set up Canada害羞草研究所檚 term as host in 2025.
Trudeau said Canada and Italy are 害羞草研究所渁ligned on so many things害羞草研究所� and have a 害羞草研究所渧ery deep and growing economic relationship.害羞草研究所�
The two got into a public spat last year after Trudeau criticized Italy害羞草研究所檚 stance on LGBTQ2S+ issues in a meeting with Meloni at the G7 leaders害羞草研究所� summit. He was reacting to her government害羞草研究所檚 move to limit the recognition of parental rights to only the biological parent in families with same-sex parents.
Meloni later rejected the criticism and said Trudeau had fallen victim to fake news.
On Saturday, Meloni touted a number of her priorities leading the G7, including artificial intelligence, the role of the Indo-Pacific and respecting the international rule-based order.
She also highlighted support for Ukraine and 害羞草研究所渢his very difficult Middle East crisis,害羞草研究所� where she said it害羞草研究所檚 important to avoid escalation.
害羞草研究所淲e are beginning a new year of our relationship trying to enhance our cooperation and I think there are many, many topics on which we can do that,害羞草研究所� Meloni said.
Later, outside the venue for the cancelled reception, demonstrators chanted Trudeau was funding a genocide and criticized the federal government害羞草研究所檚 handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Would-be attendees were confronted by demonstrators, with their paths to entry blocked, but some were later escorted to the building害羞草研究所檚 entrance by police.
Security for the event also blocked some reporters from getting inside.
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Alessia Passafiume and Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
