Canada’s push toward Europe sparks debate on integration

Canada is deepening ties with Europe as it moves to reduce trade dependence on the United States, with analysts divided over whether closer integration with the EU is the right path.

Earlier this month, Canada was the first non-European country to attend the European Political Community summit in Armenia. Prime Minister Mark Carney met with EU leaders to discuss how Canada is a top destination for foreign direct investment.

This was regarded as a new approach Carney has been taking to loosen ties with the United States.

"We've seen Canada has reoriented itself also towards India and China. So, it's about the strategy of the prime minister on middle powers," said Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Experts say it makes sense for Canada to look towards the EU, because the trading bloc is aligned with Canada on many important issues.

"So, I do see a very important element of stability and of an international community based on certain values and on certain conventions and on certain principles and regulations through international law. So, in that sense, I'm very much in favor of Canada and the European Union working together," said Triandafyllidou.

The EU's relationship with Canada is the oldest formal relationship the bloc has with any industrialized country, going all the way back to 1959.

Over the past year, Canada and Europe have become even closer. Earlier this year, Canada became the first non-European country to join the EU's Security Action for Europe initiative. This will give Canadian defense companies expanded access to the European market. Many analysts say it's about time Canada looked more towards Europe.

"So, it's a very big market for them to have ignored for years just because your neighbor was your easiest trading partner. So, it's about time they look in other markets for this," said Aki Constantinou, investment counsellor of Royal Bank of Canada.

A Nanos Research survey done for The Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto shows that just over 50 percent of respondents would either support or somewhat support Canada becoming a full member of the EU. Still, Constantinou is not convinced that may be the best move for Canada.

"They have the EU for trade, except for the UK because of Brexit. They have a common currency, but the people and the economies are very different. Germany is different from Greece. The Balkans differ from Western European countries. So, adding Canada in there, it doesn't make sense for Canada. And I don't think EU would benefit as much," said Constantinou.

There is also concern about Canada losing its unique identity.

"Of course, what I think is distinctively Canadian is multiculturalism, is the diversity of the population, is the embracing of not just individuals, but also communities. So, that is very distinct from Europe that remains, I think, dominated from ideas of historical nations where migrants come and have to assimilate more than integrate," said Triandafyllidou.

For now, Canada is focusing on better relations with the EU, a move that many see as a step in the right direction.

Canada’s push toward Europe sparks debate on integration

As the diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran continues despite a faltering ceasefire, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Iran is prepared to use military power to break the U.S. maritime blockade should the negotiations collapse or run on too long.

Mohsen Rezaee, who also currently serves as a member of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, struck a confident tone about Iran's current trajectory in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Tehran on Wednesday.

He said the country has withstood over two decades of crippling sanctions and continued to move forward.

"We have been under sanctions for more than 20 years. The number of sanctions likely exceeds 2,000, targeting individuals, enterprises, corporations, ships, insurance companies, and even foreign countries that interacted with us. However, we have managed to find solutions to neutralize these sanctions, and we will continue to do so moving forward," he said.

He said Iran aims to ease the sanctions burden through talks with the U.S., although at the same time, he said, Iran is ready to shift to a military response if the path to a peaceful resolution closes.

"Furthermore, we will compel the U.S. to lift these sanctions. We will force the U.S. to end the maritime blockade -- either through negotiations or, should they resist, through direct action and we will attack U.S. warships. Therefore, despite all the pressures, the future of our economy is bright and promising, while the future of the US economy is bleak," he said.

While any new war against Iran would be a dead end, the best way out for the U.S. is to continue talks, according to the senior official.

"We have prepared ourselves so that if the maritime blockade continues beyond a certain timeframe, we will launch an attack and break the blockade. The Americans have no choice but to negotiate. Continuing this war is a journey into a very dark tunnel for the United States. The more America chooses to fight, the deeper it enters a tunnel with no end. Yet for us, the path is perfectly clear. America is moving toward us in the dark, while we are monitoring their every move," he said.

Former IRGC chief says Iran ready to break U.S. naval blockade by force if talks fail