MONTREAL: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched a new Canada-EU alliance on Friday, inviting other countries to join.
The leaders announced the Alliance for the Future as they concluded a two-day summit in Montreal, Quebec. They presented the initiative as a way to strengthen economic security, diversify supply chains and reduce dependence on unpredictable international partners.
Carney pointed to climate change, weakening democratic standards and the use of trade as political pressure. “Our societies have been shaken by new storms,” he told reporters.
The partnership seeks closer cooperation in defence, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and financial services.
Canada will gain access to Europe’s supercomputing network through the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking.
Officials said the arrangement would help Canadian researchers and businesses develop artificial intelligence models using European computing infrastructure.
Both sides also concluded negotiations on a digital trade agreement designed to reduce barriers for businesses operating across their markets.
The leaders discussed expanding educational exchanges and making it easier for citizens to study and work across the Atlantic. Canada expressed its intention to participate in a €90 billion European support loan for Ukraine.
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Carney and von der Leyen also discussed the possibility of Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union.
Such an arrangement would create a closer relationship without granting Canada full membership of the 27-country bloc. However, the proposed status has prompted concerns among some European governments about its legal meaning.
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European Council President António Costa supported a deeper partnership between Canada and the bloc. Both sides plan to clarify the scope of their closer association at the 2027 summit.
