Canada, EU agree to new partnerships as Trudeau welcomes European leaders

Canadian PM Trudeau announced during opening remarks on Thursday evening that Canada is joining Horizon Europe, a USD 100 billion scientific research programme.

Canada and the European Union said on Friday they are making strides toward new partnerships on green energy, digital transformation and research funding, as a Canada-EU Summit got underway in the Atlantic coast province of Newfoundland.

President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen at the Genesis Demonstration Fair as part of the EU-Canada Summit in St. John's, Canada. (AFP)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced during opening remarks Thursday evening that Canada is joining Horizon Europe, a USD 100 billion scientific research programme. Afterward, the two parties said in a joint statement on Friday that substantive negotiations are complete and they are working toward its "prompt signature and implementation".

"Canadian companies are already benefiting from Horizon and have for many years, but there is much more that we'll be able to access now that we are full partners," Trudeau said.

"It is an exciting articulation of what have been long-standing partnerships between scientists on both sides of the Atlantic."

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Ottawa and Brussels started negotiations on Canada joining it a year ago, with an initial goal of signing the agreement this past spring.

Canada has also worked out a deal to build water bombers and ship them to the EU, after both regions faced devastating forest fires this past summer.

And Canada and the EU have announced what they are calling a new Green Alliance, which is focused on deepening existing partnerships on fighting climate change, halting biodiversity loss and intensifying technological and scientific co-operation.

A new digital partnership was also part of the package of announcements on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Canada "is a perfect match" for Europe's resource needs, and she urged Ottawa to join a global partnership on the issue that the EU will launch within weeks.

Trudeau also said Canada and the EU are committed to helping Ukraine continue in its fight against the Russian invasion, and announced that Canada is donating additional small arms and ammunition to the country.