New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- Canada and the European Union are moving towards a closer strategic partnership as both seek to reduce their dependence on the United States amid growing trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainty under US President Donald Trump.

At the EU-Canada summit in Montreal on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of the 'Alliance for the Future', a partnership aimed at strengthening cooperation in critical minerals, defence, technology and resilient supply chains.

The initiative brings together more than 20 areas of cooperation, including artificial intelligence, energy, digital trade, defence technology and interconnected instant-payment s...