Canada, France promise to cooperate on space infrastructure, business – National

Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to work together on space infrastructure, business and economic growth when the leaders met on Sunday in the French region of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.

Speaking to reporters, Carney said he and Macron would task their space agencies and defense ministries to develop and share joint infrastructure, including space launch systems and ground reception facilities.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said the two countries plan to cooperate on infrastructure that can receive data from satellites.

Carney said he and Macron would also commission a regional cooperation commission between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to expand its work on economic growth, energy transition and climate resilience.

He said the two countries’ chambers of commerce were also working together to bring their business communities closer together.

The French and Canadian chambers of commerce are expected to sign the agreement in the coming weeks.

The pair shook hands and hugged as Carney got off the plane, and several airport workers gathered nearby to take photos and video of the leaders.

The leaders took a parking spot for lunch before attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial to the Free France volunteers.

In December 1941, Free French forces peacefully liberated the islands from the control of the Vichy regime, which aided Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Wendy Sandeman, who was present at the ceremony, held a sign welcoming Carney. Originally from Newfoundland, Sandeman said he moved to the island nearly 40 years ago to be with his partner.

Sandeman said it was extraordinary for both countries that the leaders could be present in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.

“I want to show my support to Mr. Carney on the issues that Canadians are facing with Americans right now,” he said, tears streaming down his face.

Sabrina Chatel, a geopolitics teacher at Saint-Pierre, said she talked to her students about the leaders’ visit ahead of Sunday.

Chatel said the meeting was historic considering what is happening in the world, and added that it could open doors for the future.

In his remarks on Sunday, Macron said he supports Canada’s future involvement in the European Union. He said Carney’s visit to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon marked a step in the growth of their 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 is scheduled to be on the islands, located about 20 kilometers off the southern coast of Newfoundland, for three days this weekend, before traveling to New York City to attend the UN General Assembly.

Carney, who will fly to New York on Monday, chose to join Macron on a visit that both countries said was a show of unity and respect.

Macron’s office said Carney was the first Canadian prime minister to pay 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 the return of 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, president and CEO of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement that strengthening ties with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce marks “a concrete step in our commitment to turning historic relationships into real business opportunities.”

“Our two economies offer complementarity, and by leveraging both, we can develop shared value chains in strategic sectors for the business world in both countries,” said Di Crescenzo. “The trust that has united our two countries is an advantage that few commercial partnerships in the world can afford – a strength that 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 begun deepening ties with the French business community, including by leading a trade mission of Canadian business leaders to Paris last June.

“We are planning many more such engagements,” he said.

The meeting between Carney and Macron comes amid rising tensions with the United States in 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 European Union’s first “associate member.”

In a speech to the European Parliament, he said the two sides should “urgently rethink” their partnership and move beyond free trade agreements to take relations to the “highest possible level.”

Carney addressed Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday, saying he welcomed von der Leyen’s ambitions for the Canadian partnership.

Carney said that although the name and nature of the new agreement had not yet been determined, the partnership would be discussed and voted on in Parliament. He said he was interested in expanding a number of relationships, including opportunities for young people, and an integrated financial services market.

Canada and Europe already have a free trade agreement – ​​although it has not been ratified by all EU members – and last year Canada became the only non-European member of the EU’s new defense procurement program.

Carney signaled a desire to be closer to Europe soon after becoming prime minister in March 2025, when he traveled to meet Macron in Paris, and King Charles in London, days after being sworn in.

On Sunday, he said the partnership between Canada and France is at the heart of Canada’s growing relationship with Europe.