Canada and Europe share challenge of diversifying without antagonizing US and China
“What matters is that the complementarities ... strengthen our sovereignty," Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
Montreal — The European Union and Canada aim to avoid drawing the ire of Washington and Beijing with their new alliance, amid pressure to fulfill commitments made at a recent summit. Officials will unveil their plans for the next year, but don't anticipate a flurry of new deals. A senior EU official told POLITICO that Canada has technology that can help build a beneficial relationship if focused on, highlighting shared interests in diversifying away from the U.S. and China.
The EU sees Canada as a source for critical raw materials and energy to lessen its dependence on China and Russia. Canada's resources, including minerals and fossil fuels, are seen as a valuable addition to the EU. Prime Minister Carney dismissed debates over labeling the relationship as an "associate membership," stating it's not a marketing exercise, but rather a way to strengthen sovereignty and strategic autonomies.
The EU and Canada will focus on areas like AI and energy, with digital trade agreements and loans for Canadian critical minerals projects also on the table.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
