Carney Says This Week's Canada-EU Summit to Launch Formal Partnership Talks

12:39 PM EDT, 10/27/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that this week's Canada-EU Summit in Montreal will launch formal talks on a deeper partnership over the next year. Carney is scheduled to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other European Union officials at Montreal's summit Thursday and Friday, with leaders expected to set out the next steps toward a stronger partnership. The summit "is the launch for the formal negotiations over the course of the next year," said the Canadian prime minister as he was heading to a cabinet meeting in comments broadcast on the CPAC website. With trade tensions with the United States persisting, Canada seeks to broaden its international partnerships, attract more investment and strengthen the resilience of its domestic economy. Last month, EC President von der Leyen announced her desire at the European Parliament for Canada to become the EU's first associate member. Canada and the EU agreed to discuss expanding economic cooperation in key sectors such as energy, critical minerals, Artificial Intelligence and space.