The top two heads of the European Union are set to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau beginning on Thursday in Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city of St. John's.
Their meeting comes as wars rage in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, and EU officials say both are likely to feature prominently in the two days of meetings between Trudeau, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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Trade, climate, security and energy are also on the agenda, as Atlantic Canada angles to become a major supplier of hydrogen fuel to European markets, particularly Germany.
Sven Scholtysik, a research director with energy non-profit Net Zero Atlantic, said he'll be watching for European countries to reaffirm their commitment with Canada to build a thriving hydrogen energy partnership.
"Atlantic Canada and the EU are not far, and we can act for each other as long-term strategic partners in the energy system transition," Scholtysik said in an interview on Wednesday, adding that he was pleased to see the summit listed increasing transatlantic hydrogen trade as a point of discussion.
The EU is also looking to discuss a possible Canadian contribution to its unarmed mission in Armenia, where civilian monitors are keeping tabs on security along the country's border with Azerbaijan.
The discussions set to begin Thursday evening in St. John's mark the 19th EU-Canada Summit.
The meetings between the Canadian prime minister and the top two heads of the bloc of 27 countries are held every two years, and the last summit took place in Brussels in 2021.
European officials offered a briefing about this year's summit to journalists on Wednesday, on the condition that they not be named.
They said it was Trudeau's decision to hold this year's meetings in Canada's easternmost province, though they did not say why he chose St. John's, a city of 110,000 people.
Newfoundland and Labrador's sealing industry has been hit hard by European bans on seal products. Officials said that may come up in trade discussions, but it was not considered a major issue.
Carbon pricing will likely come up in discussions about establishing a "green alliance" between Canada and the EU, officials said, adding that both governments have been committed to expanding the global coverage of carbon pricing.
Europe has applauded Ottawa's carbon pricing system, though Trudeau has been under fire in Canada for exempting home-heating oil from the carbon-pricing scheme for three years.
The summit is an opportunity for the EU and Canada to once again signal their ongoing support for Ukraine, as the country battles an ongoing invasion by Russian forces, officials said, adding that EU leaders are eager to discuss peace, accountability and how to best support Ukraine as it rebuilds.
Canada and the EU have long supported a two-state solution in the Middle East that would result in a sovereign Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. Officials said that support is likely to be a feature of the summit's joint statement, which is expected at the end of the event's discussions on Friday.
Trudeau signed a hydrogen agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last year in the western Newfoundland town of Stephenville, one of several areas in Atlantic Canada where companies are vying to build massive wind-powered hydrogen and ammonia plants.
The goal for most of them is to ship hydrogen, in the form of ammonia, to Germany, where there is a significant market for greener forms of energy.
Scholtysik said he hopes to see a "good focus on Atlantic Canada presenting itself as a region, and as the closest region to Germany" at the summit.
A project led by EverWind Fuels has already cleared the environmental assessment process in Nova Scotia and another, led by World Energy GH2, is in the final stages of that process in Newfoundland and Labrador. Both companies are aiming to start production within the next few years.
"A lot needs to happen in order to make those timelines, and I'm happy that this discussion continues at the political level. It's something that needs continued focus to make it realistic," Scholtysik said.
