French President Emmanuel Macron began a three-day visit to Saint Pierre and Miquelon on Saturday, hosting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the French territory off Newfoundland. France 24 described the trip as symbolic, taking place amid rising tensions between Canada and the United States and a shift in Ottawa’s foreign policy toward Europe.
The archipelago, made up of three islands with fewer than 6,000 residents, lies about 25 kilometres from Newfoundland. Carney is scheduled to join Macron on Sunday, in what France 24 said will be the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to the territory. The last visit by a French president was made by François Hollande in 2014.
The meeting is intended to underline shared political principles. The French presidential palace said France and Canada share values including freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for national sovereignty. It said the two countries wanted to strengthen their ability to make independent decisions and act together in response to geopolitical tensions and new forms of dependency.
Carney’s office said the Canadian leader viewed the relationship with France as rooted in a shared history and common values. France 24 also reported that Carney has welcomed a proposal for Canada to become the European Union’s first “associate member,” reflecting a closer relationship with Europe as tensions with US President Donald Trump increase.
The visit also draws attention to the territory’s economic and social difficulties. France 24 reported that the population is declining, young residents often leave to study and the fishing industry suffered after a Canadian cod-fishing moratorium and a ruling that reduced France’s exclusive economic zone. In Miquelon, residents have begun moving inland because of the growing risk from sea-level rise, in what the report called France’s first climate-driven community relocation.
French senator Annick Girardin said the territory should be viewed as part of France and Europe in North America, rather than as an insignificant remnant of empire. She also called on France to seek expanded seabed rights and decide whether it wanted to remain a subarctic power or become a spectator.