Pakistan, Sept. 16 -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed closer ties with Canada on Wednesday. She said she wanted Canada to become the European Union's first "associate member". Von der Leyen made the proposal during her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the address at the European Parliament.

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Von der Leyen said new partnerships were needed amid growing global uncertainty. She cited shared interests between Europe and Canada on several international issues. These include artificial intelligence, climate change, the Arctic and geopolitics. She also highlighted cooperation on Ukraine, d...