Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to work together in the areas of space infrastructure, business and economic growth as the leaders met Sunday in the French territory of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
Speaking to reporters, Carney said he and Macron will task their space agencies and defence ministries to develop and share common infrastructure, including space launch systems and ground-based reception facilities.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said the countries plan to work together on infrastructure that can receive data from satellites.
Carney said that he and Macron will also task the regional joint cooperation commission between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to expand its work in economic growth, energy transition and climate resilience.
He said the countries’ chambers of commerce are also joining forces to bring their business communities closer together.
The French and Canadian chambers of commerce are expected to sign an agreement in the coming weeks.
The pair shook hands and hugged as Carney stepped off the plane, with several airport workers huddled nearby to take photos and videos of the leaders.
The leaders took park in a working lunch before attending a wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial for the volunteers of Free France.
In December 1941, Free French forces peacefully liberated the archipelago from the control of the Vichy regime, which aided Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Wendy Sandeman, who was at the ceremony, held a sign welcoming Carney. Originally from Newfoundland, Sandeman said she moved to the island almost 40 years ago to be with her partner.
Sandeman said it was fantastic for both countries for the leaders to be in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
“I wanted to show my support for Mr. Carney with the problems that Canadians are having against the Americans right now,” she said, with a tear running down her face.
Sabrina Chatel, a geopolitics teacher in Saint-Pierre, said she spoke with her students about the leaders’ visit ahead of Sunday.
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Chatel said the meeting was historic given what’s happening in the world, adding that it can open doors for the future.
In his remarks on Sunday, Macron said he supported Canada’s future involvement in the European Union. He said Carney’s visit to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon marked a step in their growing relationship.
Macron also announced the creation of a new Canada-France Polar Research Forum, adding that the first meeting would take place in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
Macron was scheduled to be on the islands, which sit about 20 kilometres off the south coast of Newfoundland, for three days over this weekend, before travelling to New York City for the UN General Assembly.
Carney, who will fly to New York on Monday, opted to join Macron for what both countries said is a visit to demonstrate both unity and respect.
Macron’s office said Carney is the first Canadian prime minister to have an official visit to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Macron is the first French president to visit in more than a decade.
“In a world characterized by a return to power politics, geopolitical tensions and new dependencies, France and Canada share a common ambition: to work together — and with all countries that share these values — to strengthen their capacity to make decisions and act independently,” a spokesperson for Macron’s office said in an email.
Alain Di Crescenzo, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and CEO, said in a statement that strengthening ties with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce marks a “concrete step in our commitment to turning a historic relationship into real business opportunities.”
“Our two economies offer genuine complementarities, and by building on them, we can develop shared value chains in strategic sectors for businesses in both countries,” said Di Crescenzo. “The trust that already unites our two countries is an advantage that few commercial partnerships in the world can claim — a strength we can build on without preventing us from exploring other markets at the same time.”
Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Laing said in a statement that the organization has already begun deepening its ties with the French business community, including by leading a trade mission of Canadian business leaders to Paris last June.
“We have many more such engagements planned,” she said.
The meeting between Carney and Macron comes amid increased tensions with the United States for both Canada and Europe, and as Canada and the European Union work toward a new and broader alliance.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she wants Canada to become the first “associate member” of the European Union.
In her state of the union speech to the European Parliament, she said the two sides must “urgently reimagine” their partnership and move beyond a free-trade agreement to bring the relationship to the “highest level possible.”
Carney addressed the Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, saying he welcomed von der Leyen’s ambitions for Canadian partnership.
Carney said while the name and nature of the new arrangement have yet to be determined, the partnership will go up for debate and a vote in Parliament. He said he’s interested in expanding a number of ties, including opportunities for young people, and an integrated market for financial services.
Canada and Europe already have a free trade deal — though it has not been ratified by all EU members — and last year Canada became the only non-European member of the EU’s new defence procurement program.
Carney signalled a desire to become closer to Europe immediately after becoming prime minister in March 2025, when he travelled to meet Macron in Paris, and King Charles in London, within days of being sworn in.
On Sunday, he said the partnership between Canada and France is at the heart of its growing relationship with Europe.
