Canada, France agree to closer ties in defense, economy

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced deeper cooperation between their countries in many areas, including defense, energy, and business.

The two leaders made the announcement on Sunday from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a small French territory just off the Atlantic coast of Canada.

According to a statement from Carney's office, the leaders discussed aerospace, energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies, such as quantum computing, satellites, and supercomputing.

This move is another step in Canada's accelerating turn toward Europe, as both countries are experiencing strained relations with the US.

The meeting between Macron and Carney follows up on Carney's visit to Brussels, during which the EU offered Canada "associate member" status.

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What did the leaders say?

"We both believe that our countries are two great, independent nations who want to remain so," Macron said at the joint news conference, adding that France and Canada would work together for closer ties on fishing, security and energy.

"We both believe in democracy, the rule of law, respect for free and fair trade, the science on which our decisions are based, and the strategic autonomy that we defend," Macron said. "And this is what very deeply unites Canada and France, Canada and the European Union."

Meanwhile, Carney said: "The time has come to tighten our links between Canada and France, between Canada and the European Union — links based on the values we share."

"History remembers those who... defend their sovereignty, those who stay true to their values," Carney stressed in his speech.

However, he also proposed that France, Canada, the United States and China work together on artificial intelligence.

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Where is Saint Pierre and Miquelon?

Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas territory, is located off the coast of Newfoundland and has a population of fewer than 6,000 people.

It is France's only remaining possession in North America and a remnant of its former vast territories in what are now Canada and the United States. One of Canada's provinces, Quebec, has French as its sole official language.

Macron's three-day visit to Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the first by a French president in over a decade. Carney is the first Canadian prime minister to visit the territory.

The leaders' meeting comes at a time of strained relations with the US. Ottawa has strongly rejected President Donald Trump's repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st US state.

Last Monday, Trump posted a map of North America on social media. The map depicted Canada, Greenland, Mexico, much of Central America and the Caribbean, and Iceland in the colors of the US flag.

Several French overseas territories were also included in the image, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

However, upon his arrival in the territory late Saturday, Macron reaffirmed its status as French territory and dismissed "strange ideas" on the subject.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah

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