Canada congratulates Germany's new chancellor

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Friedrich Merz on Wednesday after Germany's parliament elected him as the new chancellor in a second round of voting.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Chancellor Friedrich Merz on his swearing-in and on the formation of a new government in Germany," Carney said in a statement.

Carney pledged to strengthen ties, saying that "Canada and Germany are close partners, and we will be building on our reliable trade relationship.”

"Through stronger alliances, shared values and deepened trade and commercial ties, we will work to build stronger economies to the benefit of Canadians and Germans alike," he said.

Carney further thanked former Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his leadership and wished him well “in his future endeavors."

Merz, after getting parliamentary approval on Tuesday, became Germany's 10th chancellor since World War II. He secured the position after his Christian Democrats clinched a coalition deal with the Social Democrats following Feb. 23 snap elections.