European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will highlight the growing partnership between Canada and the 27-nation bloc in her annual speech on Sept. 16, as the trading partners chart a course for middle powers beyond those set by the U.S. and China. (Bloomberg)

Talking point: After calling off talks with the U.S., Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada and the EU would start discussions on building “a much stronger and deeper security and economic partnership” this fall. Immediately after the Canada Investment Summit wraps up, Carney will attend von der Leyen’s Sept. 16 speech in Strasbourg, France, and address the European Parliament the next day. He has put the EU at the heart of his efforts to diversify trade, including by having Canada join the EU’s €150-billion military procurement fund. The visit to Strasbourg is expected to set the stage for the next step in deepening ties between the allies at the Canada-EU summit, slated for Oct. 29 to 30. Geneviève Tuts, the EU’s envoy to Ottawa, said the relationship Canada and the EU are forging will be unlike those the bloc has with the U.K. and other non-member European countries. “We’re going to be creative and imaginative,” Tuts told the Toronto Star.

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