The Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, is scheduled to travel to Strasbourg (France) on September 16 to attend the State of the European Union (SOTEU) speech that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will deliver before the plenary of the European Parliament.
The President of the Eurochamber, Roberta Metsola, has communicated her presence through a message on social media, in which she expressed her satisfaction that Carney will participate as "guest of honor" in the SOTEU and, in addition, will speak with a formal speech before the MEPs.
"This important visit of the (Canadian) Prime Minister will be an opportunity to deepen the ties between the European Union and Canada and strengthen our bond," asserted the Maltese politician.
Carney's arrival in Strasbourg takes place in a context of strong diplomatic and commercial tension between Canada and the States, after the collapse of bilateral talks that has led Ottawa to respond with tariffs worth 17 billion euros to the 50% tariffs imposed by the U.S. Administration on steel, automobiles, and other Canadian products.
In this scenario, the presence of the Canadian leader in the plenary of the European Parliament, which will be attended by a good part of Von der Leyen's Executive, is interpreted as a gesture aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relationship, already intensified in recent months after Donald Trump's return to the White House.