Carney pushes for a unique Canada-EU alliance

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will start talks with the European Union on a “unique alliance” that would deepen ties without making Canada a member of the 27country bloc. He made the remarks on Sunday as he prepared to speak to the European Parliament later this week. The idea follows reporting that Ottawa is exploring an “associate member” label, but Canadian officials say no legal membership proposal is on the table and that the government is still defining what the relationship could be. Carney said Canada and the EU share values and priorities, and both sides are looking at closer cooperation in areas such as security, trade, energy, critical minerals, AI and defence. The talks come as Canada tries to broaden ties with Europe and reduce dependence on the United States. Analysts say the final result may be a series of smaller agreements rather than one major new pact, with more details expected at upcoming speeches and the CanadaEU summit later this year.