Key facts
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on Sunday.
- Carney will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron during the visit.
- The visit is the first by a Canadian prime minister to the French territory.
- Carney's trip follows attendance at Ursula von der Leyen's State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg.
- Carney also met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool.
- Discussions between Carney and Macron will cover cooperation on AI, energy, defense, and critical minerals.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit the French archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon on Sunday, marking the first-ever visit by a Canadian prime minister to the territory. The trip, scheduled for September 15, 2026, is part of Carney's broader effort to reorient Canada's foreign policy toward Europe and strengthen ties with the European Union.
Carney's visit to the islands, located off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and home to fewer than 6,000 residents, follows his attendance at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg on Wednesday. He also met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool.
During the meeting in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy, defense, and critical minerals, according to a statement from the Canadian prime minister's office. This marks Macron's first visit to the territory since taking office in 2017.
The Canadian government's pivot towards Europe has gained urgency amid an ongoing trade war with the United States, which has led to reciprocal tariffs. Stéphane Lenormand, an independent lawmaker representing Saint-Pierre and Miquelon in the French parliament, suggested that the archipelago serves as a symbolic gateway for Canada to engage with the EU. The recent actions by US President Donald Trump, including a post covering various territories with the US flag, have further reinforced the need for new international partnerships based on sovereignty and democratic control, according to a person close to Macron.
Carney has spoken of building a "unique alliance" with the EU, with reports suggesting Canada might explore an "associate member" status. However, existing disputes, such as long-standing disagreements over fishing rights in the waters between Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, remain a point of contention. French fishers are currently limited to 3% of the allowable halibut quota, a situation that Lenormand believes Carney's pivot could influence in future negotiations.