Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, in a meeting in the Saint Pierre and Miquelon islands, have emphasized strengthening bilateral relations and greater cooperation between the two countries.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), this meeting took place on Sunday, September 20 , in this French overseas territory near the coast of Canada, and has been described as the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to this archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Macron, in a joint press conference with Carney, said that France and Canada are independent countries and want to preserve their independence and decision-making ability.

Carney also said that given new global challenges, the time has come for Canada’s relations with France and the European Union to expand further.

The two sides discussed increasing cooperation in the sectors of energy, security, fishing, and trade.

Macron also announced efforts to reach agreements with Canada for more supply of liquefied natural gas and its transfer to European coasts.

It is worth mentioning that Canada is a major producer of oil and gas and holds significant reserves of critical minerals and rare elements — an issue of particular importance in the two countries’ economic cooperation program.

This meeting comes as Canada-US relations during Donald Trump’s presidency have been accompanied by trade and political differences, and Ottawa is seeking to expand its economic and political relations with Europe.