Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed the idea of his country becoming an associate member of the European Union, stating that Canada and the EU are "stronger together", reported Agence France-Presse and Reuters, quoted by BTA.
"Canada welcomes this ambition and I can tell you that surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Canadians support much closer ties with Europe", he told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where he received long applause. "Europe and Canada are stronger together," he added, after Trump mocked the EU alliance.
Europe and Canada must deepen their ties to protect the prosperity of their citizens, Carney stressed.
A few hours earlier, US President Donald Trump mocked the initiative of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling it "ridiculous" and saying he would impose additional tariffs on Europe if he deemed the proposal hostile.
"Europe and Canada are strong separately. Europe and Canada are even stronger together," Carney told MEPs in Strasbourg.
"I am not proposing a third bloc to rival the great powers - just with better manners," he continued. "We are not seeking power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are seeking sustainability so that no one can control our open markets, infringe on our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law".
"If they do, if I determine that it is a hostile act, I will impose very serious tariffs or I will stop trade with Europe on many things", Trump told reporters on the way to an event in North Carolina, calling the proposal "ridiculous".
"If it is well intentioned — fine. If it is a bad intention, we will impose very heavy tariffs on Europe," he added.
Both the EU and Canada face intense competition and pressure from the Trump administration on issues such as trade, as well as from an increasingly assertive China, Reuters notes.
The European Commission said that von der Leyen's proposal, which has yet to be fleshed out and approved by member states, was not a hostile act.
"As our President (von der Leyen) made clear yesterday, the proposed strengthening of our partnership with Canada is not directed against anyone, but is for our common strength," a European Commission spokesman said.
Speaking to the European Parliament, Carney made it clear that he, like the EU, wants deeper ties.
"We are not allies only when things are good," he said. "We believe that our prosperity grows when it is shared."
"The goal is not self-sufficiency. The goal is collective resilience," Carney stressed.
Among the areas in which Canada would like to have closer ties with the EU, he cited the pursuit of strategic autonomy through deep cooperation on key minerals, defence industrial capacity, AI and computing, energy security, space and payment systems.
He also mentioned digital trade and building more secure broadband connections between Europe and Asia, taking advantage of their shared geography.
Yesterday, in her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, the President of the European Commission proposed that Canada become the union's first associate member.
"Europe will always be at the forefront when it comes to defending the rules-based system. But we can no longer rely on it as the only way to protect our interests. Nor can we assume that its rules will protect us from the complex threats we face," she added.
With these words, Von der Leyen stressed the importance of Europe building global coalitions committed to resilience and democracy.
"Europe will always be at the forefront when it comes to defending the rules-based system. But we can no longer rely on it as the only way to protect our interests. Nor can we assume that its rules will protect us from the complex threats we face," she added.
Welcoming Mark Carney to the room, Von der Leyen drew attention to the enduring friendship between the EU and Canada.