Ursula von der Leyen
In a major bid to deepen ties with Ottawa amid growing trade tensions with Washington, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday invited Canada to become the European Union’s first associate member.
He is due to address the European parliament on Thursday.
“I invite Canada to be the first associate member of the EU,” von der Leyen said on Wednesday during her annual State of the European Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, according to ANI. Von der Leyen said Brussels wanted to take the relationship beyond the existing Canada-EU trade agreement, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). To create a common prosperity and economic security space,” she said. “This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength,” von der Leyen said. “Above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy,” von der Leyen said. Earlier reporting noted: Ms. von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg that as democracies face a “fracture in the international rules-based system”, Brussels and Ottawa needed to pull closer together. Earlier reporting noted: “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU,” Ms. von der Leyen told the Canadian Prime Minister, who was attending her annual keynote speech — drawing a standing ovation in the chamber.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, who was seated in the front row, responded by embracing von der Leyen as lawmakers applauded. “We will move from CETA to an Alliance for the Future. “In short, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. “We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest or the loudest, but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work. The proposal would not amount to full EU membership. The bloc’s treaties restrict full membership to European states, making an associate-member arrangement a possible new model for closer cooperation with a non-European country. Carney has been pursuing closer ties with the European Union, as both seek to pivot away from a hostile United States under President Donald Trump.
Earlier reporting noted: Mr.