Open this photo in gallery:

Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 3.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

The European Union is planning on more parliamentary exchanges between Canada and the 720 politicians representing its member states.

Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, says a new office in Ottawa will help to facilitate exchanges with Canadian MPs and senators.

She says this will help politicians better understand issues such as the Arctic, security and transatlantic trade.

The EU Parliament already has nine offices for these exchanges in cities around the world, including Kyiv, London and Panama.

Opinion: ‘Associate member’ of the EU? Why not, Canada?

The announcement comes ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s address to the European Parliament on Thursday.

Members of the European Parliament have previously visited Ottawa with support from the EU diplomatic mission, just as MPs and senators have had Canadian embassy support on visits to Brussels.