Partenariat avec lUE : ce nest que le début , dit Ottawa

Canada strengthens alliances with the EU, says Anita Anand – Euronews

Anita Anand stated that Canada is enhancing its alliances worldwide, including with the European Union, as part of a foreign policy focused on cooperation between intermediate powers and reducing the country’s economic and security dependence on the United States.

“In the past year, we have signed over 20 security, defense, and economic agreements globally, and this is just the beginning,” she declared on Euronews’ “12 Minutes With” interview during a visit to Brussels.

She assured that these relationships are long-lasting and not just a response to President Donald Trump.

“They will withstand the test of time,” Anand said about the Canada-EU relations. “The reason is not merely a political response. This political response is based on a community of views, common values, and the belief that territorial integrity, state sovereignty, and multilateral trade are essential principles for which we will continue to collectively mobilize in the short and long term.”

These statements come after Canada made history by being the first non-European country to participate in a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Yerevan, Armenia.

Regarding the gathering, Anand expressed, “We are very excited about continuing to work with Europe, with countries that share our values.”

Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, declared during the EPC summit that Europe would not submit to a “closed and brutal world” and could instead serve as a foundation for rebuilding a new international order.

Earlier this year at Davos, he had already mentioned a “rupture” in the governance system dominated by the United States, advocating for intermediate powers to pave a new path.

“In my opinion, what we need to examine is how we can work together in a pragmatic way to bring economic benefits, as well as defense and security advantages to our respective countries,” Anand continued. “In the past year, we have signed over 20 security, defense, and economic agreements globally, and this is just the beginning.”

Some are now questioning whether the closer relationship between Canada and the EU could one day lead to Canadian membership in the EU, amidst deteriorating relations with the United States.

When asked if Ottawa was actively considering this scenario, Anand remained evasive: “What we are doing is diversifying our trade relationships and, most importantly, strengthening this intermediate power approach in a series of fields, whether it be security and defense, economic interests, agriculture and agri-food, artificial intelligence…”

“The decisions regarding mediation belong to Kyiv”

Canada also stands strongly aligned with the EU in its response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Anand was in Brussels on Monday, May 11 to co-chair a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

She announced that Canada was imposing sanctions on 23 individuals and five additional entities involved in violations against Ukrainian children, in addition to measures already in place.

When asked about the possibility of Canada participating in future discussions between Brussels and Moscow, Anand firmly stated that decisions about the future of Ukraine belonged to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We believe that any mediator chosen must be accepted by Ukraine. We particularly want the ceasefire, to which Zelensky has agreed, to be respected. However, we have seen Russia violate ceasefires, violate commitments, violate international law, unjustifiably and illegally kill Ukrainians… This is unacceptable.”