8.27°C Vancouver

Mar 17, 2025 12:34 PM - The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Carney kicks off international trip in France

Share On
prime-minister-carney-kicks-off-international-trip-in-france
Later in the day, Carney heads to London for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a private meeting with King Charles.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Paris, France, to meet with President Emmanuel Macron in his first in-person meeting with an international leader as prime minister.

Carney, who turned 60 on Sunday, is kicking off his first full week as prime minister with a whirlwind three-day trip to France and the U.K., ending back in Canada’s north, in Iqaluit.

It follows an invitation by Macron before Carney was even sworn in as prime minister. The two world leaders are expected to discuss issues related to security in Europe and Canada and trade diversification.

France has notably not yet ratified CETA, Canada’s free trade deal with the European Union, and Canada’s talks with the U.K. about an independent free trade deal remain on ice. The cross-Atlantic jaunt includes a tour of the newly renovated Notre Dame Cathedral.

Later in the day, Carney heads to London for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and a private meeting with King Charles.

It comes against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to make Canada the 51st state and amid the White House’s aggressive tariff agenda. Carney insisted on Friday that he doesn’t need to seek assurances from his allies that Canada will remain an independent country.

“We’re masters in our own home,” he said after his cabinet was sworn in on Friday. “We’re in charge. It’s always nice when people say nice things about you, but we don’t need it. We’re not seeking it.”

He also emphasized at the time that Canada was built on the bedrock of Indigenous, French and British people. Carney spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a call late Sunday and invited him to the G7 summit this summer, which Canada is hosting.

The prime minister, however, has not yet spoken to Trump since succeeding Justin Trudeau as prime minister several days ago. A call with the U.S. president is unlikely until Carney returns to Ottawa.

Carney spoke with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on a Sunday call that touched on Canada-E.U. trade and defence.

Latest news

CanadaNov 20, 2025

Indian national wanted in murder case arrested after being refused entry at Canada–U.S. border

U.S. border officials say a 22-year-old Indian national was taken into custody at the Peace Bridge crossing at Fort Erie after Canadian officers refused him entry over the weekend. The case is drawing renewed attention to cross-border screening practices that affect travel between Ontario and Western New York, a corridor frequently used by travellers from Ontario’s South Asian communities. According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the man – identified as Vishat Kumar – had previously entered the United States without authorization in 2024 and did not appear for a
chrystia-freeland-to-leave-parliament-for-senior-leadership-role-with-rhodes-trust-in-u-k
CanadaNov 20, 2025

Chrystia Freeland to leave Parliament for senior leadership role with Rhodes Trust in U.K.

Chrystia Freeland is preparing to leave federal politics next year as she moves to Oxford, England, to take up a senior leadership role with the Rhodes Trust. The educational charity confirmed that Freeland will become its next chief executive officer on July 1, overseeing one of the world’s most influential international scholarship programs. The organization administers the Rhodes Scholarship, which brings students from around the globe to study at the University of Oxford. Freeland’s appointment places her at the centre of an institution that has produced generations of leaders in publi
rain-and-snow-alerts-in-effect-as-coastal-and-northern-b-c-brace-for-strong-weather-system
BCNov 20, 2025

Rain and Snow Alerts in Effect as Coastal and Northern B.C. Brace for Strong Weather System

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued a pair of weather alerts for communities along British Columbia’s north and central coast, warning that a strong frontal system could bring significant rain and heavy mountain snow through the end of the week. The agency says areas from Bella Coola through Kitimat may receive as much as 70 millimetres of rain, raising the risk of water pooling on roads and possible washouts near rivers and creeks. The system is expected to weaken by Friday, but officials caution that changing conditions may still affect travel across coastal corridors. While t
senate-approves-citizenship-reform-for-lost-canadians-as-advocates-raise-adoption-concerns
CanadaNov 20, 2025

Senate approves citizenship reform for ‘Lost Canadians’ as advocates raise adoption concerns

Federal legislation designed to address long-standing gaps in Canada’s citizenship rules has cleared the Senate and is expected to become law before a court-imposed deadline early next year. The bill aims to resolve cases involving so-called Lost Canadians – individuals born abroad to Canadian parents who were themselves born outside the country and who lost access to citizenship because of restrictive rules adopted in 2009. The changes come after the Ontario Superior Court ruled last year that the previous one-generation limit on citizenship by descent was unconstitutional. Under the upda
AlbertaNov 20, 2025

Alberta auditor says failed lab privatization left public with $109 million bill

Alberta’s auditor general says the province’s attempt to shift community lab testing to a private operator resulted in significant financial losses and gaps in government oversight. A new report from Auditor General Doug Wylie estimates taxpayers absorbed roughly $109 million after the privatization effort collapsed. Wylie’s review found that senior officials in government advanced the plan despite internal warnings that the projected savings were unlikely. He says weaknesses in record keeping, financial analysis and contract oversight contributed to the breakdown of the agreement with D

Related News