5 minWorld
Canada and France Deepen Ties on Space, Defense and Energy as Carney Looks Beyond U.S.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Sunday to expand cooperation in space, defense, energy and business, as Canada seeks new partners beyond the United States and France looks to secure oil and gas supplies amid the Iran war.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed Sunday to deepen cooperation across space, defense, energy and business, expanding strategic ties as Canada seeks new economic and security partners beyond the United States and France moves to secure energy supplies amid the Iran war.
The two leaders met at the airport of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland, where Macron welcomed Carney on Sunday. The talks are part of a broader effort by Canada to reduce its dependence on its southern neighbor and by France to shore up oil and gas supplies as the Iran conflict disrupts global energy markets and raises fears of higher fuel prices.
Carney said the countries will direct 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, according to a statement from Carney's office.
The leaders discussed deepening the Canada-France partnership in strategic sectors including aerospace, energy, critical minerals and advanced technologies such as quantum computing, satellites and supercomputing.
«Canada and Europe will build an alliance for the future that will strengthen our collective resilience so we can live our lives as we choose based on the values that we share,» Carney said Sunday.
The meeting comes days after Carney embraced the prospect of Canada becoming the European Union's first associate member, arguing that deeper ties with Europe would make Canada less vulnerable to economic coercion by any single country. U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, demands for economic concessions and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have pushed the Canadian government to pursue closer economic, security and political relationships with Europe.
Macron said the talks would «allow us … to strengthen our bilateral economic ties and defense relationship.» He also framed Sunday's discussions as part of efforts to help France secure oil and gas supplies as the Iran war disrupts global energy markets.
«Canada is a country with significant resources of critical minerals and rare earths. It is also a major oil and natural gas producer,» Macron said. «What we want to do is conclude agreements to secure more liquefied natural gas that can be shipped to Europe's Atlantic coast.»
The meeting also follows Trump's announcement of a deal on Greenland that would expand the U.S. military presence there while keeping the island under Danish control. The agreement came after months of threats by Trump to seize the semiautonomous territory of a NATO ally.
Macron welcomed the agreement Saturday. «Danish sovereignty is being respected, international law is being respected,» he said. «Anything that helps ease tensions is a good thing.»
Macron arrived in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on Saturday, calling the visit «an important moment» for the territory of about 5,800 people. The archipelago, the last remnant of France's North American colonial empire, sits just off Canada's Atlantic coast and has become a symbolic venue for the two countries' expanding partnership.
The agreements discussed Sunday build on a relationship that has gained urgency as Washington's trade policies unsettle allies. Carney has argued that Canada's economic security depends on diversifying its trading partners, and France has sought reliable energy sources outside volatile Middle Eastern markets.
Both leaders have emphasized that the cooperation is not directed against any third country but is intended to strengthen their own resilience. The specific agreements on liquefied natural gas shipments, critical minerals and space infrastructure are expected to be finalized in the coming months.
