Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
We, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, reaffirm, here in Ottawa, the strong bond between Canada and France. This meeting reflects the importance of our historical and cultural ties and the enduring friendship between our nations that is rooted in a shared history, a common language and the values that drive what we do.
We also enjoy a strong trade relationship. Together, we are working to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, as well as a transparent, rules-based multilateral trade system. Since the provisional implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017, trade between Canada and France has grown significantly (over 53% for Canadian exports and nearly 46% for French exports in the span of seven years). Our bilateral trade helps to make life more affordable for our citizens and create good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
In an international context marked by many different overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, our two countries are determined to protect fundamental democratic principles in the face of authoritarian, populist and hateful ideologies. We stand up for human rights, fairness, and the rule of law, with due respect for international law and state sovereignty.
Canada and France are facing foreign information manipulation and interference operations. Canada and France will strengthen their exchanges to effectively respond to these threats. In particular, Canada and France will work closely within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to create tools to guide countries in developing public policy focused on strengthening information integrity. In addition, through fora such as the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) and the Forum on Information & Democracy, we are also developing collective approaches to counter other threats to democracy and will continue to advance these objectives in our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026.
Enhancing our bilateral cooperation
This year, we commemorated the sacrifices made by Canadians, the French and our Allies on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landing. We will work to step up our bilateral cooperation in security and defence in order to improve our ability to respond to geopolitical crises. To that end, the Canada-France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership, which we are announcing today, will enable us to provide more effective support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen our cooperation in modernizing our armed forces, and combat foreign information manipulation and interference.
To support French and Canadian citizens around the world, we also wish to strengthen our cooperation with respect to emergency preparedness and crisis management. We applaud the work of Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre and France’s Centre de crise et de soutien in this area.
Fighting climate change and protecting the ecosystems and environment
In response to the triple planetary crisis of climate warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we will continue to step up our cooperation, particularly in the fight against climate change and ocean protection. We will do this through our bilateral and multilateral actions, in line with the France-Canada Partnership, which was renewed in April, in which we pledged to work together, in particular to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework and to strengthen our climate and energy commitments, as well as our shared commitment to adopting a legally binding international agreement to address plastic pollution.
Our Canada-France Declaration on the Ocean speaks to our readiness to put oceans at the heart of the bilateral and international agenda—with recognition of their critical role in the environmental and climate balance—in preparation for the June 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice. We also underscore their importance in providing food and energy sources, a vector for economic exchanges, and a vital link between countries and communities. The Prime Minister and the President also emphasized their commitment to working together in the fisheries sector, as demonstrated by the recent agreement reached on the Atlantic halibut fishery.
Our two countries will also pursue their political commitment towards the adoption of a legally binding treaty to put an end to plastic pollution that meets our peoples’ expectations, with ambitious measures throughout the life cycle of plastic, from production to waste management.
To keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C target within reach, we will accelerate efforts on operationalizing the global stocktake’s decision on transitioning away from fossil fuels, including in the context of our G7 presidencies. We will continue to work with determination to align financial flows with the Paris Agreement, in particular by disclosing climate change risks and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. We will continue our work together to expand the scope and use of carbon market instruments, while supporting countries that are interested in implementing these instruments.
Canada is pleased to join France and the many countries that support The Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) in responding to the dual challenge of combatting poverty and preserving the planet. Further, to encourage increased funding in support of sustainable development, our two countries will continue to participate actively in the United Nations Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus Leaders’ Group.
Our responses to energy security concerns will aim to secure long-term energy supply in keeping with our climate objectives, and in a manner that ensures continued prosperity for both of our countries. Building on the Joint Statement Between Canada and France on Nuclear Energy Cooperation of fall 2023, we are working together to step up civil nuclear cooperation between our two countries, with a focus on identifying project funding solutions and upgrading skills and training for the trades. We will also work to accelerate the global phase-out of coal through our support for the Powering Past Coal Alliance and the Coal Transition Accelerator.
Recognizing the key role of critical minerals in supporting a green and digital economy, our two countries will work on the need to explore opportunities for joint investment in critical minerals projects, with the aim of securing their respective value chains. Canada and France are also founding members of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, which aims to promote on a global scale sustainable and socially inclusive mining, processing and recycling practices, and responsible critical minerals supply chains. We will continue to work with like-minded countries to reaffirm these values. Lastly, Canada and France will work together to develop low-carbon, efficient, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, whether in the aviation, rail or marine sectors.
Embracing artificial intelligence responsibly
Canada and France consider science and technology to be important levers for meeting the major challenges of the 21st century. We are mindful of the importance of developing a responsible approach to artificial intelligence (AI) that takes into account both risks and benefits, as demonstrated in the joint launch of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence in 2020. The Canada-France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence published today reiterates our commitment to responsible, safe AI that respects human rights and democratic values. To promote and support scientific research in the field of AI, we welcome the recent call for proposals from last July for new funding, launched under the auspices of the Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation uniting our two countries.
Expanding Canada-France collaboration in all areas of AI, we will further our work together at the AI Action Summit, to be hosted by France on February 10 and 11, 2025. With a view to promoting outreach and cooperation between our companies and business organizations and providing solutions, Canada is proud to announce that it will be Country of the Year at VivaTech 2025 in Paris. Responsible use of AI can create economic benefits for everyone, and adopting it can increase economic productivity and growth, for the benefit of all workers and businesses.
In addition, our two countries will continue to work together to establish a digital dialogue on platform governance and ensure that AI is designed, developed, and deployed ethically and in compliance with copyright. This would allow us to recognize the important shared challenges in the digital space that have a considerable impact on the strength and health of culture and media in Canada and France.
Promoting the French language throughout the world
Canada and France reaffirm their support for the promotion of French and for the institutions of La Francophonie, and they commit to concluding a Canada-France Memorandum of Understanding on the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française on the margins of the upcoming Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France, on October 4 and 5. With our partners in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, we will support linguistic and cultural diversity, peace, democracy, and human rights. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to strengthen education, research, and innovation in French, as well as economic and digital cooperation for sustainable development.
Addressing geopolitical challenges
We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia’s more than 900-day war of aggression in Ukraine. In the face of this war, which jeopardizes the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, we reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in all areas, for as long as it takes. We continue to work towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law, and in particular the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. In line with the NATO Washington Summit Declaration, we will continue to deepen our support for Ukraine, to give it the means to defend itself and deter Russian aggression. We are pursuing our efforts to support Ukraine in its reform process, notably in the fields of justice, the fight against corruption, and promotion of the rule of law. We also underscore the efforts of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Canada with the participation of France. Finally, we are committed to helping to operationalize the agreement reached at the G7 Summit in Apulia to leverage immobilized Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine.
We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the October 7 massacres perpetrated by Hamas against Israel, and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law. We are extremely concerned by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and by the appalling situation of the civilian population, which has been repeatedly displaced within the country and is unable to meet its most basic needs. Canada and France therefore call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the unfettered access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Canada and France support the two‑state solution, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state, living in peace and security, alongside the State of Israel.
We also wish to maintain our support for Haiti, to help re-establish security, the rule of law, and democracy. While we remain concerned about the humanitarian and security situation there, we are nevertheless pleased to note the progress made, including the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council, a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers. We also welcome the fact that the creation of the Provisional Electoral Council is well underway. We are committed to supporting preparations for free, fair, and transparent elections. Canada and France will continue to work closely together to support the Haitian National Police, the Multinational Security Support Mission, and the strengthening of the justice sector and the fight against corruption and financial crime.
In the Indo-Pacific region, our two countries will study the deployment of joint patrol missions in the future, and will maintain their participation in multilateral exercises. To this end, our two countries will work on the possibility of integrating Canadian support into the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
Coordinating our successive 2025 and 2026 G7 presidencies
We will strengthen strategic coordination between our governments in the context of our bilateral and multilateral exchanges, and with a view to our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026. We are determined to meet today’s global challenges, guided by our shared desire to build a better future based on our common values, and supported by the rich and dynamic relationship between our two countries.
MIL OSI Canada News –