Canada joins European Political Community Summit in Armenia as first non-European participant

Key facts

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Armenia, marking the first time a non-European nation has participated in the forum.
• The EPC is an institution championed by French President Emmanuel Macron to strengthen diplomatic ties and includes member nations such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Armenia.
• Armenia, which froze its membership in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in 2024, is set to hold its first bilateral summit with the European Union (EU) to discuss democracy funding and visa liberalisation.
• Three Indian nationals sustained moderate injuries following an Iranian drone attack on the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which also triggered a fire at the energy installation.
• The United States (US) has initiated Project Freedom, a multi-layered defensive mission involving guided-missile destroyers and aircraft to secure merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.