Mark Carney says he expects to conclude negotiations between the EU and Canada at a summit of European leaders in June.
“In parallel, we are working in the coming period to build as deep a partnership as possible,” he said at a joint press conference in Montreal with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Trade and security
In addition to supporting Kyiv, the parties will also cooperate more closely in areas such as trade, research and security, Costa said.
At the press conference, von der Leyen repeated her earlier remark that no country outside Europe is as European as Canada and that the EU wants to forge even closer ties with the country.
“A partnership that comes closer to membership (in the EU) than ever before,” she said.
But exactly what this rapprochement entails, and what “associated membership” means, remains unclear.
“In the coming months, we will decide on the substance, scope and weight of this type of membership,” Carney said.
Unclear meaning
The joint statement published by the parties on Friday evening does not mention the controversial concept of “associated membership”. Instead, it appears that the leaders have agreed to an agreement on “ever closer membership” at their next meeting in 2027.
Among EU countries, the term “associated membership” has caused both confusion and irritation, not least because it is unclear what it actually means.
The rapprochement between the EU and Canada is taking place amid US President Donald Trump’s trade war, which has strained relations with long-standing allies.
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