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Canada will begin a year‑long negotiation process with the European Union (EU) to deepen economic, technological and defence cooperation, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Tuesday. The talks are set to start during a bilateral summit in Montreal scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Carney said the new negotiations aim to strengthen ties between Canada and the 27 EU member states, reflecting Ottawa’s effort to diversify its international relationships and reduce its economic dependence on the United States. “This is the beginning of new formal conversations, negotiations, over the next year,” he told his cabinet in Ottawa, according to the EFE news agency. The Canadian leader downplayed the importance of a specific label for the future relationship, noting that the EU does not currently have a “associate member” category. “The good news is that the specific names or nomenclature do not matter,” Carney said. He added that the focus should be on the impact of the alliance on Canadian citizens and the country’s ability to act independently. EU officials said the 27 member states seek the closest possible relationship with Canada without formal EU membership. They hope to define the new partnership model by the next summit, slated for 2027. The proposed alliance would expand collaboration in key sectors such as trade, technology, defence, energy and critical minerals. It would also facilitate the mobility of students and specialised workers to strengthen academic and professional exchanges. The Montreal summit has also highlighted political tensions between the federal government and Quebec. Quebec’s new premier, Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, accused Ottawa of excluding him from the negotiations and preventing his participation in the summit. Carney denied the allegations, stating that the federal government had held three rounds of consultations with Quebec representatives about the EU approach. He also said that Plamondon had been invited to a dinner with European officials but chose not to attend. “It was his decision to leave his seat empty,” Carney replied. Article source: De Ultimo Minuto | Image credit: De Ultimo Minuto
Canada will begin a year‑long negotiation process with the European Union (EU) to deepen economic, technological and defence cooperation, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Tuesday. The talks are set to start during a bilateral summit in Montreal scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Carney said the new negotiations aim to strengthen ties between Canada and the 27 EU member states, reflecting Ottawa’s effort to diversify its international relationships and reduce its economic dependence on the United States. “This is the beginning of new formal conversations, negotiations, over the next year,” he told his cabinet in Ottawa, according to the EFE news agency. The Canadian leader downplayed the importance of a specific label for the future relationship, noting that the EU does not currently have a “associate member” category. “The good news is that the specific names or nomenclature do not matter,” Carney said. He added that the focus should be on the impact of the alliance on Canadian citizens and the country’s ability to act independently. EU officials said the 27 member states seek the closest possible relationship with Canada without formal EU membership. They hope to define the new partnership model by the next summit, slated for 2027. The proposed alliance would expand collaboration in key sectors such as trade, technology, defence, energy and critical minerals. It would also facilitate the mobility of students and specialised workers to strengthen academic and professional exchanges. The Montreal summit has also highlighted political tensions between the federal government and Quebec. Quebec’s new premier, Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, accused Ottawa of excluding him from the negotiations and preventing his participation in the summit. Carney denied the allegations, stating that the federal government had held three rounds of consultations with Quebec representatives about the EU approach. He also said that Plamondon had been invited to a dinner with European officials but chose not to attend. “It was his decision to leave his seat empty,” Carney replied.
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