France backs closer Canada-EU ties as Macron meets Carney

• French President Emmanuel Macron backed closer ties between Canada and the European Union, including a proposal for Canada to become an EU associate member

• Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to deepen cooperation in fisheries, security and energy

• The two leaders also discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Arctic affairs and the impact of global conflicts on energy supplies

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed strong support for closer relations between Canada and the European Union, including a proposal that could make Canada the bloc’s first associate member.

Macron made the remarks during a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saint-Pierre, the capital of the French overseas territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, on Sunday.

Describing Carney’s trip as the first official visit by a Canadian prime minister to the territory, Macron said France and Canada would strengthen cooperation in fisheries, security and energy.

The French President said his country “very much” supported the agenda of rapprochement between Canada and the EU, as well as the possibility of Canada securing associate membership of the bloc.

Carney said Canada and Europe intended to establish an “Alliance for the Future” to reinforce their collective resilience amid growing economic, geopolitical and security challenges.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had proposed opening the door to Canadian associate membership during her annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Under the proposal, Canada and the EU would expand their relationship beyond the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The envisaged alliance would cover manufacturing, technology, defence, Arctic cooperation, energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.

Macron and Carney also discussed the war in Ukraine, European and transatlantic security, developments in the Middle East and strategic issues concerning the Arctic.

The leaders examined how international conflicts were affecting global energy supplies and agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security. Canada is seeking to expand its role as a major producer of both clean and conventional energy.

The prospect of Canada becoming an EU associate member has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump. He said on Wednesday that such a move could be considered a “hostile act” and threatened to impose steep tariffs on Europe.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, a French archipelago in the North Atlantic, lies about 20 kilometres from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

With IANS inputs