Carney to attend European summit in Armenia, push security ties and global investment

The visit, made at the invitation of the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, will also be the first official trip to Armenia by a Canadian prime minister in nearly a decade.

At the summit, Carney is expected to meet European leaders to discuss collective security, transatlantic defence cooperation and continued support for Ukraine.

He will also promote Canada as a destination for global investment, particularly in sectors such as critical minerals, energy, defence and advanced technologies.

The summit comes as Canada seeks to deepen ties with Europe amid shifting global economic and security dynamics.

Ottawa has recently expanded cooperation with the European Union through new strategic and defence partnerships aimed at strengthening trade, technology collaboration and security alignment.

Canadian officials say participation in the summit aligns with the government’s broader plan to attract large-scale investment and diversify economic partnerships beyond traditional markets.

Europe is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods and services reaching nearly $180 billion in 2025.

The biannual European Political Community Summit brings together leaders from across the continent to address shared challenges, including economic security, energy resilience and regional stability.

This year’s meeting in Yerevan is themed “Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe".

Carney said closer coordination with European allies is critical in a “more dangerous and divided world", emphasising cooperation in defence, energy and technology as key to long-term economic growth and security.