🔻Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, on Wednesday in the European Parliament, supported proposals according to which Canada could become the EU’s first “associate member.”

She said she wants to “open the door” for Canada; a plan that would lead to closer ties in several key areas.

Last week, Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, had spoken about efforts to create a “distinctive alliance” with the European Union. Canada currently has tense relations with the United States, and trade differences between the two countries have also intensified.

Without directly referring to Donald Trump, the U.S. president, von der Leyen said that offering some form of membership in the European Union to Canada is “not a partnership against anyone, but to strengthen our shared power.”

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