Prime Minister Mark Carney met Sunday with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his nation’s capital ahead of the European Political Community summit, a gathering touching on strategic co-operation in politics, security and infrastructure.

Canada is the first non-European country to attend these meetings, which have taken place twice a year since they began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meetings include EU countries and others, such as Iceland, Turkey and Ukraine itself.

Carney thanked Pashinyan for the invitation to attend the summit during their meeting, saying it comes at a “crucial time” for Europe and European values.