EU says Carney to attend Armenia summit as Canada expands role in European security talks

European Union officials say Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to attend a summit in Armenia this weekend focused on political, security and infrastructure co-operation across Europe.

According to a social media post from European Council President Antonio Costa, Carney will participate in the European Political Community summit in Yerevan. Carney’s office has not publicly confirmed the visit.

The European Political Community brings together EU member states and partner countries, including Iceland, Azerbaijan and Montenegro. The forum was launched in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with a mandate to strengthen co-ordination on regional security and economic stability.

Costa said Canada would be the first non-European country to attend, describing the move as part of broader efforts “to defend peace, shared prosperity and multilateralism.”

Canada has expanded its diplomatic and security presence in the region in recent years. The federal government opened an embassy in Yerevan in 2023 and has participated in a European Union monitoring mission amid tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh, where Azerbaijan displaced ethnic Armenians.