EU seeks to strengthen ties with Canada

Moscow (ANTARA) - European Council President Antonio Costa stated on Monday that the European Union (EU) is striving to establish relations that are “as close as possible” with Canada.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to begin granting Canada its first EU association member status. However, she did not provide further details regarding the implications of this status.

“Essentially, this concept means we want to do more and work as closely as possible with Canada,” Costa told Politico.

According to Costa, the European Union aims to build a relationship of maximum closeness with Canada. “We can cooperate in the fields of defence and security. We can also collaborate on investments in artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, and in facing new technological challenges,” the official added.

Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that amidst the failure of trade negotiations with the US, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed that his country become an EU associate member. Recently, Carney clarified that the issue was not about membership, but rather the formation of a “unique alliance.”