Fico: Carney's Presence at EPC Summit Signals Closer Ties between Canada and EU

Bratislava/Yerevan, 4 May (TASR) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's presence at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Armenia suggests significant convergence between Canada, the European Union (EU) and Europe as a whole, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told reporters on Monday, noting that Canada is being discussed as a replacement for the United States, which, he claims, is "washing its hands" of Europe. "It looks like there will be some kind of replacement for the United States of America, but it's good news because when it comes to Canada, we share the same views on many issues," said Fico, adding that the closer ties between Canada and the EU were evident from the speeches made by Carney, as well as by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He referred to the discussion on the EU's strategic independence, which he believes shouldn't lead to cutting all ties with the USA. "Europe is aware that it must look after itself, not only in terms of competitiveness but also energy security and security in general. That is to say, when we speak of effective deterrence in the event that any EU-member state faced a threat from a non-EU nation," added Fico, highlighting the fact that the summit also features speakers who don't have a good relationship with the EU and hold critical views. In addition to the announced meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Fico said that he also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, colleagues from the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset. "This kind of summit is great because everyone's in close quarters, allowing an exchange of information that would otherwise take quite some time," he noted. The summit also revolved around energy and supplies of energy raw materials. During a round-table discussion attended by EC President von der Leyen, Carney, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and other prominent figures, Fico spoke about the importance of the South Caucasus region as a potential source of supplies for Central Europe. In his address, he stressed that Europe must fight for all available options in oil and gas imports, including those from Russia. jrg/df