Canada and the European Union opened a new era of transatlantic cooperation on Monday with the official signing of an security and defense partnership at a spouse summit in Brussels.
The Agreement initiates Canada and Europe to collaborate in La Défense and is a stage to Canada which participates in the massive defense program of the continent, known as Rearm Europe.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, who went to Brussels for the EU-Canada summit, continues more options for defense purchases while Canada seeks to reduce its commercial and security dependence in the United States.
“We will establish commercial relations with partners sharing the same ideas, reliable partners,” said Carney at a press conference after the summit.
“The future of trade has this defense cooperation,” added Carney, saying that some NATO allies are pursuing “an allied industrial policy that will make us stronger. It is the future of trade, not a close discussion on prices.”
During the trade negotiations with the United States, Carney said he was focusing on obtaining the “good deal” during the 30-day negotiation window.
Following the recent G7 summit, American president Donald Trump expressed continuous tenderness for prices while recognizing that Carney has a “different concept” of commerce.
Carney lowered a question at the press conference on Monday to find out if he feels more comfortable in Brussels than Washington DC, the Prime Minister spoke hot and humid time to Washington at the moment and joked that he was “sure that dinner will be better” in Brussels.
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Carney met the president of the European Council António Costa and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at the top, before the signing of the final agreement.
Costa said that Canada and the EU “look at the world through the same objective” and that this meeting brought the partnership to a new level.
Von der Leyen told Carney that he was “here with friends”. She said that Canada and the EU are two solid democracies linked by historical links and linked by a “dynamic, fair and open” commercial partnership.
She said that the EU not only wanted to reaffirm friendship and partnership with Canada, but also to reshape it. She said the agreement was the “more complete” ever completed.
“We know that we can count on you and you can count on us,” she said.
Carney said the leaders put part of what they discussed in the G7 and have been working in practice for years.
Under the terms of the agreement, Canada and the EU will hold an annual “security and defense dialogue” involving senior officials. The agreement also initiates the two partners to expand cooperation in support of Ukraine, improving Canadian military mobility in Europe and improving maritime cooperation in “mutual interest” regions such as Indo-Pacific.
Von der Leyen said that the “open door” for Canada to enter joint military purchases with Europe after the summit.
“It is important to do these joint actions, not only for industry scaling, because the more you can have better, cheaper and faster results, but also to improve interoperability between our troops,” she said.
Canada will have to sign a second agreement with the European Commission before being able to participate in the initiative of 150 billion euros Rearm Europe.
The Security and Defense Agreement also promises collaboration on emerging questions about cybersecurity, foreign interference, disinformation and space policy.
“So, when our two jurisdictions must increase to combat defense threats, we pool our resources or we can pool a large part of our resources,” said Carney. “We will be more than the sum of the parts.”
Carney also met Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever before the Canada-Eu summit.
De Wever said that Canada’s partnership with the EU is now vital because “we woke up in a world that no longer looks friendly”.
On Tuesday, Carney goes to the Hague for the NATO summit, where member countries will decide to fully approve it with a substantial increase in the defense expenditure target, of 2% of GDP to five percent.
Carney said that earlier this month, Canada would increase its defense expenses this year to reach the two% goal for the first time since its creation in 2014.
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