The European Union and Canada announced a new alliance of “ever-closer association” designed to bring together like-minded countries to address common challenges.

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said on Friday he and his European counterparts would define the scale and scope of a "new form" of European Union membership over the coming months, and that Canada would become its first "associate member."

They will define by a 2027 summit what the association would entail exactly, Carney said .

In a post on X, Carney said that what he called an “Alliance for the Future” would not only be open to Canada and the EU , but to “other countries that share our views to address common challenges and strengthen our collective power.”

European Council president Antonio Costa, Canada's prime minister Mark Carney and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen attend a Signature Ceremony at the Canada-EU Summit in Montreal (Reuters)

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