The two highest leaders of the European Union arrive today in St. John's in the far east of Canada to meet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a short summit during which issues such as climate change, the use of hydrogen, and the two ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Palestinian Gaza Strip will be discussed.

Trudeau is scheduled to be joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.

The Canada-European Union leaders' summit will kick off this evening in the capital of the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador with a dinner. The bulk of the talks are scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, before the summit concludes in the evening.

The talks are also expected to include the use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, a highly important topic in Newfoundland and Labrador where the provincial government is studying four proposals regarding wind hydrogen.

The company Pattern Energy also has an agreement with the city of Port Alice in the southeast of the province to obtain land for establishing a wind farm.

Andrew Furey’s government in St. John's is active in making Newfoundland and Labrador a power that produces and exports hydrogen in the near future, focusing on European markets. Furey's government is the only Liberal government among Canada’s ten provinces, making its leader an ally of Trudeau in several areas.

Hydrogen produced by this Canadian province is of interest to some European countries that are major importers of hydrogen, especially Germany.

Officials also said that carbon pricing will be put on the discussion table regarding the establishment of a "green alliance" between Canada and the European Union, adding that both sides are committed to expanding the global carbon pricing system.

Trade will also be on the agenda, with implications for Newfoundland and Labrador.

The European Union has banned the import of most seal products, which is something this industry in Newfoundland and Labrador and the rest of Canada wishes to change.

A senior European Union official said that this matter may be raised for discussion during the talks, but it is "not seen as a major annoyance."

The last summit of Canada-European Union leaders was held in the Belgian capital Brussels in June 2021.