Carney and Macron deepen ties as Canada turns toward Europe and away from U.S. dependence
Carney said the countries will task their space agencies and defense ministries to develop and share infrastructure, including launch systems and ground-based reception facilities. They also agreed to expand cooperation in energy, telecommunications, climate resilience and economic development.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Mark Carney announced a closer relationship between their two countries amid tensions with the United States, amid a growing trade war and climate change concerns. The leaders met in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory off Canada's Atlantic coast, marking the first visit by a French president to the islands since 2014 and the first by a Canadian prime minister.
The two leaders emphasized the need to strengthen ties in areas such as space, climate, and energy, citing shared values like democracy, rule of law, and respect for international law. Macron reiterated that France's strategic autonomy would be defended.
The visit to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, which Trump recently highlighted in an image showing the islands covered by the US flag, holds symbolic importance for France due to its strategic location near the US and Arctic regions. For Canada, the territory is crucial for energy cooperation.
Macron expressed hope that the talks would lead to concrete bilateral deals, particularly regarding Canada's expanded liquefied natural gas exports to Europe instead of primarily to Asia. He also supported Canada's bid to become the EU's first associate member, despite previous threats of tariffs from the US.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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