EU chief hosts Canada's Carney in push to 'deepen' alliance
Summary
EU leaders and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are pushing to deepen ties on trade, artificial intelligence, energy and critical minerals ahead of an EU-Canada summit in Montreal. The talks also include faster ratification of the CETA trade deal, student exchanges and possible Canadian support for Ukraine lending.
Key Points
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is using her Strasbourg speech to call for stronger EU-Canada relations as Mark Carney attends as guest of honour.
- The two sides are seeking closer cooperation on AI, energy supplies, critical minerals and defence procurement as both reduce dependence on the United States and China.
- Canada wants the European Investment Bank to back critical minerals projects and sees LNG and AI investments as models for broader partnership.
- EU lawmakers are urging full ratification of CETA, which has boosted trade since 2016 but still awaits approval from ten EU countries.
