For the past year and a half, Canada has forged a much deeper alliance with Europe. Last month, at the Canada-European Union (EU) Summit in Montréal, Prime Minister Carney, along with presidents von der Leyen and Costa, launched the Alliance for the Future – a coalition of nations focused on leveraging each other’s strengths to build resilience and reinforce our sovereignty.
In parallel, Canada and the EU are working toward the deepest possible partnership – short of accession – with Canada becoming the EU’s first Associate Member. As an immediate step forward, the leaders launched more than 20 new initiatives during last month’s Summit – initiatives that will create greater opportunity, affordability, and sovereignty on both sides of the Atlantic.
Building on this momentum, Prime Minister Carney travelled to Dublin, Ireland, to represent Canada at the 9th Summit of the European Political Community. At the Summit, leaders focused on economic resilience and competitiveness, mutual security, and support for Ukraine.
On the margins of the Summit, the Prime Minister met with the leaders of Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, and Sweden, where they focused on opportunities to deepen economic ties, open new markets for businesses, and strengthen supply chains. The discussions advanced new areas of collaboration between Canada and the EU, all with the goals of increasing our collective security, increasing our competitiveness, and creating greater opportunities for citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
Prime Minister Carney also participated in a meeting co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss ongoing efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and the implications of emerging proposals for Europe’s broader security architecture. Prime Minister Carney reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression and underscored the importance of reinforcing collective defence and strengthening transatlantic security.
A strengthened and deeper Canada-EU relationship will deliver for people on both sides of the Atlantic – for students looking to study abroad, researchers seeking to push the boundaries of discovery, and entrepreneurs looking to reach new markets. We each bring unique strengths. Europe is the world’s second-largest economy – bringing market strength and world-class research capabilities. Canada is an energy superpower – bringing critical minerals, LNG, and leading capabilities in space, AI, and quantum. Together, we are building a better, more resilient future for our peoples – a future with more opportunity, lower costs, and greater sovereignty.
Canada’s strengthened alliance with Europe is part of our work to build our strength at home and diversify our partnerships abroad. This work will continue as Prime Minister Carney travels to the Philippines, Cambodia, and China. There, he will advance new trade agreements and further Canada’s mission to build a stronger, more independent, more resilient Canadian economy.
