The EU and Canada are expanding their political and institutional cooperation, which will include regular participation by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in high-level EU meetings, European Council President António Costa said at a press conference following the EU-Canada summit in Montreal, according to Report.
"We want to create something new – go beyond a conventional associated partnership by offering everything short of full EU membership," he said.
According to the European Council president, the new partnership will involve closer engagement at the highest political level, alignment of priorities and coordination of responses to shared challenges.
Costa said he expected to welcome Carney to the European Political Community summit in Dublin in two weeks and would also invite him to the European Council meeting in June next year.
In addition, a joint meeting of the European Commission's College of Commissioners and the Canadian government is scheduled for the spring.
Costa stressed that the EU and Canada intend to strengthen cooperation in security and defence, trade, investment and support for Ukraine, describing the new partnership as an example of democracies working together amid pressure on the rules-based international order.