Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron met Sunday, September 20, 2026, in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to deepen a strategic partnership spanning space, defense, energy and business, another step in Canada’s accelerating turn toward Europe as relations with the United States deteriorate. The bilateral summit highlights Canada’s accelerating turn toward Europe amid strained relations and trade pressures from the United States.
A Strategic Summit on French Soil Off the Canadian Coast
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney traveled to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon for a visit that is the first of a Canadian prime minister on the French archipelago situated off Newfoundland. He was welcomed by Emmanuel Macron, who reaffirmed, facing the hits of Donald Trump in the region, that the ultramarin territory is indeed French. The visit that Mark Carney began Sunday late in the day to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is the first of a Canadian prime minister on the French archipelago located off Newfoundland. He was welcomed by Emmanuel Macron, who reaffirmed, facing the hits of Donald Trump in the region, that the ultramarin territory is indeed French. Separated by only a few kilometers, the two leaders used the striking geographic proximity to underscore an even closer alignment in values as relations with the United States deteriorate.
Emmanuel Macron arrived Saturday, September 19 in the evening at Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a French archipelago of North America in which he will spend two days, receiving notably Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in full maneuvers of rapprochement with Europe. This step of the Canadian leader prolongs his voyage in Europe the previous week, where, alongside Ursula von der Leyen, he opened the way to an unprecedented partnership between Europe and Canada. The president of the Commission proposed that Ottawa become the first associate member
of the EU. The bilateral summit—held in the French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located just off Canada’s Atlantic coast—comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained relations between the two nations and the United States. Carney stated that the time had come to significantly strengthen ties with France and the European Union. His comments follow a high-profile visit to Brussels and Strasbourg, where the European Commission formally proposed granting Canada associate member
status within the bloc. Macron confirmed that Paris and Ottawa would work together to deepen cooperation across key sectors, including fisheries, regional security, and energy infrastructure. Looking beyond bilateral ties, Carney proposed establishing a four-way collaborative framework involving France, Canada, the US, and China to oversee the development and governance of artificial intelligence. The leaders delivered their remarks following a working lunch and a series of high-level meetings on the island earlier in the day.
Pushing Back Against U.S. Trade Pressures and Energy Needs
The diplomatic pivot comes in direct response to intense economic pressures from Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions, and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st US state have pushed Ottawa to reduce its dependence on its southern neighbour and pursue deeper economic, security, and political ties with Europe. Emmanuel Macron hammered from his arrival in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon that this territory was indeed French and attached to France
, in reply to a map posted by Donald Trump which covers the whole region with the flag of the United States. We are not going to affirm it every morning because people have strange ideas or say strange things, he added upon his arrival in the small archipelago, 4,300 kilometers from Paris, for a two-day visit with a strong geopolitical resonance.
The president welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Saint-Pierre, a first in local history. This sends a strong message, he underlined, facing a thunderous American president who considers this part of the world as his private preserve and regularly threatens to annex Canada, to whom he delivers a merciless trade war. Looking for other oil supply sources in the face of price surges provoked by the war in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron also hopes to find solutions among Canadians, who are big producers.
Space, Defense, and Multilateral Cooperation
French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France and Canada are two great independent nations who want to stay that way
during a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday. The leaders delivered their remarks following a working lunch and a series of high-level meetings on the island earlier in the day, leading to Adrian Wyld photographing French President Emmanuel Macron taking a selfie with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after delivering remarks in Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Sunday, September 20, 2026.
Unresolved Trade Friction and Local Challenges
If the prime minister hailed the European offer, he did not fail to recall that the Ceta (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), officially signed between the two partners in October 2016, still has not been ratified by ten countries out of twenty-seven, including France. The oppositions come mostly from agricultural lobbies who dread a… This article is reserved for subscribers. You have 83% left to discover. Flash Sale -70% on your subscription. Without commitment. Already a subscriber? Log in.
