English
English
English
EU opens door to closer ties with Canada (Img: X)
New Delhi: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that she wants to explore the possibility of Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member, as Ottawa works to strengthen its economic and security relationship with Europe.
The proposal comes amid growing tensions with the United States. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st US state have encouraged Ottawa to reduce its longstanding dependence on American trade. Carney has described his vision for relations with Europe as a “unique alliance” with the EU.
Ursula Proposes to Open Door For Canada
During her annual State of the European Union address, von der Leyen directly addressed Carney, saying, “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada being the first associate member of the EU.” Carney was given a standing ovation by European lawmakers and is scheduled to speak to the European Parliament on Thursday.
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would build on their existing free trade agreement, CETA, while developing a broader “Alliance for the Future”. The initiative, she said, would seek to establish “a common prosperity and economic security space”. She stressed that the partnership would extend beyond trade and rest on shared democratic values.
“Above all, dear Mark, Europe and Canada believe in democracy,” von der Leyen said. “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.”
Cooperation to Span Strategic Sectors
The proposed cooperation would span a wide range of strategic areas, including advanced manufacturing, technology, defence production, the Arctic, energy, critical minerals, batteries, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and economic security.
Emphasising the wider scope of the proposed relationship, von der Leyen said, “This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength. In short, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.”
The proposal signals the EU’s interest in taking its partnership with Canada beyond traditional trade ties, with greater cooperation planned across security, technology, energy and other strategically important sectors.
