Carney to become 1st leader from non-European country to take part in summit

Peter Zimonjic

CBC Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney has been invited to attend next month’s summit ‌of the European Political Community (EPC) in Armenia, European Council President António Costa announced Tuesday.

Carney is one of 48 heads of government or state that will be participating in the event. His engagement as a guest marks the first time a non-European country has taken part in the meetings.

“Europe ⁠and Canada ‌are more than just like-minded partners — together we are building a global alliance ⁠to defend peace, shared prosperity and multilateralism,” Costa wrote on X.

The European Political Community was formed in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It operates similarly to the G20 or the G7 by bringing together countries not only inside the EU but within its political orbit to talk and exchange ideas.

Aside from the 27 EU member states, other countries such as Norway, Iceland, Turkey, Ukraine, the Balkan states, the U.K., European microstates like Andorra and Liechtenstein and others will attend the meetings.

The summit being held May 4 and 5 will be co-chaired by Costa and host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Carney will be in Yerevan, Armenia, from May 2 to 4, where he will use the opportunity to sell Canada as a place to invest in big projects that include critical minerals, energy, defence and other businesses.

“In a more dangerous and divided world, Canada is moving ever closer to our European partners and allies,” Carney said in a statement.

“Bound by our shared values, we are advancing co-operation in defence, energy and technology to build a more secure and prosperous future on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Supporting Ukraine, discussing Middle East

The leaders attending the summit are expected to discuss how to co-operate more closely and co-ordinate action when it comes to strengthening democratic resilience as well as economic and energy security.

Also on the agenda at the summit are the latest developments in Ukraine and the impact of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

“Guided by shared values and a commitment to international law and the rules-based international order, this milestone summit between the EU-Armenia will deepen bilateral co-operation as well as mark an important investment in increased peace, connectivity and prosperity in the South Caucasus,” Costa said in a statement.