Macron makes rare visit to French territory off Canada, where he will host Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to hold a symbolic meeting in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French territory 20 kilometres off the southern coast of Newfoundland, on Sunday. The meeting, which will include a working lunch and a wreath-laying ceremony, is touted as a display of unity and mutual respect between the two countries. France and Canada both emphasize their shared values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and respect for national sovereignty.

This meeting comes at a time when Canada and the European Union are in talks to strengthen their alliance, amidst growing tensions with the United States and President Donald Trump. The meeting will be historic for Carney, as it will be the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon in over a decade. Macron will be the first French president to visit the islands in more than a decade.

Carney's visit aims to showcase Canada's growing ties with Europe, particularly in light of President von der Leyen's desire for Canada to become the first "associate member" of the European Union. Canada and the EU already have a free trade agreement, although it has not been ratified by all EU members. Canada also recently became the only non-European member of the EU's new defence procurement program.

During the visit, Carney and Macron will discuss deepening the Canada-France partnership in sectors such as aerospace, energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies in quantum science, satellites, and supercomputing. The leaders are also expected to discuss regional cooperation on fishing, transport, the transit of travelers, university exchanges, and trade.