SAINT-PIERRE-ET-MIQUELON - On the French archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, just 20 kilometres from the southern tip of Newfoundland, Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron said that the two countries would strengthen their co-operation in key areas. “Today sovereignty goes beyond being able to feed, fuel and defend ourselves. It requires secure access to AI, semiconductors, critical minerals, payment systems, clean energy technologies, vaccines and space-based communications,” Carney said in prepared remarks. “The President and I will task our space agencies and defence ministries to develop and share common infrastructure, including space launch systems and ground-based facilities.” In a joint statement, the leaders also said that the Regional Joint Cooperation Commission between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon will expand its work in the priority areas of economic growth, energy transition and climate resilience. A strategic partnership would also be struck between the chambers of commerce of both Canada and France to bring the business communities closer together. The announcement is another step in underscoring Carney’s push for closer ties with Europe as Canada’s trade war with the United States deepens. This is the first official visit by a Canadian Prime Minister to the French territory and the first trip in more than a decade to the region by sitting French President. It comes just four days after European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen extended an invitation to Canada to become the first associate member of the European Union. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the proposal as “laughable” but also called it a potentially “hostile act” which could trigger serious tariffs on Europe. In his speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg earlier this week, Carney said that he was not proposing a third bloc that would become a great power rival but wanted to pursue resilience so no one can control open markets. After a working lunch, Macron and Carney laid wreaths at a memorial honouring Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon’s 529 resistance fighters who fought for Free France during the Second World War. Under secret orders from Charles de Gaulle, the leader of Free France, three corvettes and a submarine set sail from St. John’s, N.L., for Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon in December 1941 to overthrow the Vichy regime, which was aligned with Nazi Germany. The 1941 Christmas liberation of the archipelago is also imbued with symbolism for Canada. Wartime documents declassified by the Canadian government reveal that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt saw the surprise takeover as a violation of the Monroe doctrine, which sought to block European interference in the Western hemisphere. Although the Canadian military did prepare for an invasion, Prime Minister Mackenzie King defied pressure from the Americans to gain control of the islands and shelved its plans. Instead, Canadian forces continued to work alongside Free French sailors to protect allied convoys of soldiers and supplies from German attacks as they crossed the North Atlantic. “Canada and Europe will build an alliance for the future that will strengthen our collective resilience so that we can live our lives as we choose,” Carney said, standing at a podium next to Macron. The Prime Minister was only on the ground in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon for less than four hours. He rushed back to Ottawa to meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to continue discussions on future partnerships. Norway has the world’s largest sovereign fund with more than USD $2 trillion in assets. It is currently considering reducing its reliance on U.S. Treasury bonds. The head of Norges Bank, which manages the fund, was in Toronto to participate in the Canada Investment Summit held earlier this week. As Canada’s economic relationship with the U.S has worsened, the Carney government has struck a series of agreements with Europe in rapid succession. In December, Canada became the only non-European member approved to participate in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence procurement program. In the spring, Canada was also named as the home for the new headquarters of the Defense and Security Resilience Bank. And for the first time, Canadian musical talent will have the chance to compete next year in Eurovision, the biggest singing competition in the world.
