At the start of the meeting, issues of international security were discussed and Michael Thompson pointed out Toronto’s very good experience with dealing with issues that generally plague large cities, including those related to security and crime prevention. He also mentioned that Toronto, being a hub of trade, has great expectations from CETA including the fact that Toronto is interested in introducing Europe to local businesses and the opportunities that CETA offers.

Ivan Pocuch welcomed this perspective and stated that the Czech Republic has always been one of the most outspoken supporters of free trade and the CETA agreement. CETA is expected to offer interesting opportunities for both Canadian and Czech companies. He also mentioned the Czech Republic as a potential gateway to regional trade. Michael Thompson praised the positive attitude towards CETA and further indicated that Toronto is interested in the prospects of cooperation with the city of Prague, specifically in the areas of sharing best practices related to city development, tourism and culture. He and Ivan Pocuch agreed on their shared interest to continue the dialogue aimed at further mutual cooperation.