Carney rules out EU membership, seeks 'unique alliance' for Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada wants a "unique alliance" with the European Union rather than membership, amid reported discussions over closer ties.

• Carney said at the Toronto International Film Festival: "We are not seeking to join the European Union. What we are seeking… is a unique alliance between Canada and the European Union."
• The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed EU and Canadian officials, that the EU is open to granting Canada an associate membership status not yet established.
• Carney's office said he will travel to France and Britain this week, address the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and attend Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech.
• The Globe and Mail reported the EU, not Carney, floated the associate membership idea, citing an unnamed source who called any such discussion premature.