Canada and EU prepare Montreal summit on closer ties

Canada and the European Union are preparing a Montreal summit on October 29-30 to advance cooperation on defence, trade and other areas, with leaders expected to consider proposals whose final terms have not yet been confirmed. Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to attend the two-day meeting. European Council President António Costa is also expected to represent the EU, according to one report. The summit follows von der Leyen’s proposal last month that Canada become the bloc’s first “associate member,” a label that has no established status under EU treaties. The practical form of any closer relationship remains to be determined. A draft joint statement prepared for the summit says the sides intend to expand security and defence cooperation, including on crisis management, the defence industry, maritime and space security, hybrid threats and resilience. It also describes plans for stronger Arctic cooperation and a dedicated dialogue covering Arctic issues, foreign information manipulation and interference, climate security and transport. These are draft proposals, not confirmed final commitments. The draft says...