Many occasions in our social lives, happy and sad, are marked by the consumption of food and drink. In business, deals are cut over lunch and difficult conversations AR eased with a glass of wine or a pint in the pub.
Will this age old formula work for the EU and Canada in their free trade agreement discussions?
Stephen Harper will be hoping so, given his commitment to the Canadian people to close out the discussions by the end of this year. Angela Merkel visits Canada this week and will be having dinner with Mr Harper on Wednesday.
Or maybe Harper is eyeing up a Christmas dinner and the spirit of the season to push it over the line at the last minute….