Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed a proposal to make Canada the first “associate member” of the European Union (EU), as the two sides seek to strengthen co-operation.
Speaking to European Union lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, Carney called for closer ties with the 27-member bloc, saying Canada and Europe “are stronger together.”
“Canada and Europe should secure our strategic autonomy through deep cooperation in the full range of strategic capabilities,” he said in a report by Agence France-Presse.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who proposed the idea on Wednesday, September 16, said the bloc aimed to bring ties with Canada “to the highest level possible.”
Trump criticises Canada-EU proposal
United States President Donald Trump, on the other hand, called the proposal “laughable,” and threatened that the US could “stop trading with Europe on many things” if the EU pursued the plan.
“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe,” Trump said, after referring to Canada as a “terrible trade partner.”
The two countries have been locked in a trade dispute, with the US recently adding 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian products.
Canada, in turn, has imposed levies on almost 700 categories of American goods.
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Carney calls for more economic resilience
Carney alluded to the US’ use of tariffs in his speech, saying that “economic integration is now being weaponised – tariffs being used to exert pressure.”
“Financial mechanisms have been used for coercion. Supply chains constitute weak points to be exploited,” he said in French, as reported by the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC).
Carney also called the alliance with the EU a “positive process,” in response to Trump’s words.
“A stronger, more resilient, more sovereign Canada will be a more effective partner with the United States,” he said in a news conference.
“Canadians are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak; no one is going to dictate our culture or with whom we can strike agreements internationally.”
EU to deepen ties with Canada
The Canadian prime minister also clarified that closer ties with the EU were not intended to create a rival power bloc.
“We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so no one, no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law,” Carney said.
Von der Leyen, meanwhile, expressed support for the proposal, saying she looked forward to working with Carney to open the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union.
“We will move from CETA (EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) to an alliance for the future, to create a common prosperity and economic security space,” she said in a report by CNBC.
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