Costa told POLITICO that the EU wants to develop “the closest possible” relationship with Ottawa. When asked to define “associate membership,” Costa said: “This concept means basically that we want to do more and act as much as possible with Canada,” adding that “there is just this small problem that geographically they [Canada] are not a European country” and cannot apply for EU membership.

The EU and Canada signed a landmark trade agreement in 2016. CETA, as it was known, took effect the following year but wasn’t ratified by 10 EU countries, including France, Italy and Belgium.

Costa said the EU “can do much more with them [Canada] than only trade. We can work on defense and security. We can work on investment in AI, quantum, the new technological challenges.”

“We can work with them to strengthen democracy, because we are like-minded and reliable partners,” he added.

Costa pointed to the upcoming EU-Canada Summit in Montreal Oct. 29-30 as a key moment to define the future relationship with Ottawa.

In a further sign of warming relations, Costa will co-host a public event on multilateralism with Carney and Kenyan President William Ruto in New York on Monday on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly.