OTTAWA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The two-day 21st Canada-European Union Summit concluded Friday in Montreal, Canada, with the launch of an alliance to bolster collective strength, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is working toward becoming the EU's first "associate member."
According to a joint statement issued Friday, Canada and the EU launched the "Alliance for the Future" aiming to deliver ambitious cooperation in the following areas: trade and regulatory cooperation; digital, research and communications technologies; critical raw materials and energy; financial services and markets; security and preparedness; and people-to-people.
The prime minister's office said in a news release that the alliance is a new partnership of nations that will leverage the strategic capabilities of Canada, the EU, and a variable geometry of like-minded nations to address common issues.
Together, Canada and the EU will deliver more choice and lower costs for families, new export markets for businesses, and greater opportunities for young people to live, work, and study where they want, in Canada or the EU, according to the release.
In closing remarks, Carney said that the two sides are working toward the deepest possible partnership, short of accession, with Canada becoming the EU's first associate member.
"Over the coming months, we will determine the substance, scale and scope of this form of membership," Carney said.
The joint statement noted that the two sides are working to define by the 2027 EU-Canada Summit the concept of an "ever-closer association" of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself.
During the Canada-EU summit, the two sides unveiled more than 20 new initiatives and announced the conclusion of negotiations for the Canada-EU Digital Trade Agreement. As Canada's first agreement dedicated entirely to digital trade, it aims to reduce frictions in online trade and make it easier for businesses to sell goods and services. ■
