Canada and France reinforce bilateral ties

The Voice of Canada News:

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, on his first official visit to Canada from April 10 to 11.

United by a common history and a strong relationship, Canada and France share a vision for the future. Our priorities include defending democracy and human rights, promoting the French language and francophone cultures, advancing climate action, and progressing toward net-zero.

During the visit, Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Attal deepened the partnership between our two countries. They discussed ongoing progress in the efforts to halt biodiversity loss, the fight against climate change and the transition to a net-zero economy as well as the importance of safeguarding our energy security and advancing the development of critical mineral resources.

Leaders took part in a signing ceremony where both countries agreed to strengthen their relationship on wildfire cooperation, and to renew the France-Canada Partnership on Climate and Environment. The three-year renewal of the Partnership will further strengthen bilateral co-operation to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution around the world.

Recent natural disasters and extreme weather events have devastated communities in Canada and Europe. Considering the growing threat of wildfires to populations, infrastructure, and ecosystems, Canada and France have signed a Declaration of Intent on cooperation on wildfire management to enhance their collaboration in this regard. Lastly, France, joining its European partners under the framework established by the European Union, will purchase two De Havilland firefighting aircraft and is also considering further acquisitions to renew its fleet.

Canada welcomes France as the most recent Partner to join the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge. Carbon pricing is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions – and by working together, we can encourage and support more countries to adopt this proven approach to keeping our air clean and fighting climate change.

The prime ministers highlighted the renewal of the partnership agreement between the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and the French investment bank Bpifrance to keep supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in both countries. This renewed partnership will create more opportunities for Canadian and French entrepreneurs, and attract investment across Canada, France, and the European Union.

During a bilateral meeting, the Prime Ministers also reaffirmed the value of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The agreement creates good, middle-class jobs, and creates opportunities for businesses and workers in both countries.

The two leaders reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The leaders also underscored their condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. The leaders also stressed the importance of ensuring safe and unimpeded access to life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and reiterated their support for lasting peace in the Middle East in the form of a two-state solution. They also expressed their concerns over the ongoing humanitarian, security, and political crises in Haiti.

Finally, the two Prime Ministers concluded the visit with a Joint Statement, sharing the work underway for both countries to deepen collaboration on clean energy and a dynamic economy. Prime Minister Trudeau also took the opportunity to announce that Canada’s Acadie will host the first Franco-Canadian Council of Ministers meeting this year, to continue to strengthen our bilateral cooperation in strategic areas.

Quote

“Canada and France share a common vision, including in the fight against climate change and in the promotion of the French language and the Francophonie. As Prime Minister Attal’s visit made clear – Canada and France will work together to create good jobs, take climate action, and build a better future for all those who call our countries home.”-The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• France is a key ally for Canada on the international stage. France is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), G7, and G20, as well as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a founding member of the European Union, and a leading partner in La Francophonie.
• The original Canada-France Climate and Environment Partnership was announced in 2018 to join efforts in support of global momentum for climate and environment action. The Partnership was renewed in 2021, with Canada and France redoubling their efforts.
• The Declaration of Intent in the areas of mutual aid and cooperation for the management of wildland fires formalizes bilateral co-operation on personnel exchange during emergencies, and strengthens strategic co-operation for the management of wildland fires in areas such as research and innovation, data and information sharing, and firefighter training, to advance shared priorities.
• Among all public investment banks who support entrepreneurs around the world, BDC and Bpifrance have a lot in common in terms of the support they offer to SMEs. This makes collaboration between the two institutions very informative and allows for the exchange of best practices to benefit entrepreneurs in both countries.
• While in Ottawa, Prime Ministers Trudeau and Attal attended a ceremony at the Beechwood Cemetery to inaugurate the Amicitia France-Canada Monument, which underscores our unique friendship and commemorates the shared history and values between Canada and France. The Amicitia France-Canada Monument is built on a commemorative site at the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario. The Monument recognizes more than four centuries of shared history and values and more than 90 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and France.
• In 2023, France was Canada’s third largest merchandise export market in the European Union, and its twelfth-largest trading partner globally, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $12.9 billion.
• In 2023, Canadian exports to France amounted to $4.3 billion, while imports from France totalled $8.6 billion.