Canada and France to deepen intelligence exchange, said Carney in Paris – National
Canada and France will deepen their defense and industrial cooperation through a new information security agreement, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in Paris on Friday.
Carney made the announcement in a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of a bilateral meeting between the two at the Palais de l’Elysée.
“Businesses in both our countries are doing a lot together, in energy, defense, precious minerals and now (in artificial intelligence),” Carney said.
“What this means is the ability to exchange classified information between our defense, our space, our AI and our aerospace sectors.”
Carney’s office said the deal would increase access to defense procurement opportunities in France and make Canadian industry more competitive when pursuing contracting opportunities in France.
The agreement comes as Canada joins Europe’s SAFE Instrument, a loan program worth 150 billion euros, to speed up defense procurement in the European Union. Canada’s participation gives it exclusive access to contracts financed under the program.
A reading published by Carney’s office says that he and Macron discussed trade, energy and precious minerals in their bilateral meeting before the press.
They also talked about France’s recent purchase of two de Havilland water bombs made in Calgary, Alta.
The meeting, which comes ahead of next week’s G7 summit, was at least the seventh one-on-one meeting between the two world leaders since Carney took office in March 2025.
It comes just before the G7 leaders’ summit, which will be hosted by France this year from June 15 to June 17.
France, which took over the G7 presidency in Canada in January, says the priorities for this year’s summit include addressing the country’s biggest problems and the G7’s support for Ukraine.
When reporters asked Carney on Friday if he was giving Macron any advice on how to deal with US President Donald Trump at the summit, Carney said Macron has been around the G7 for a long time and does not need advice from him.
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He added that Macron’s straight-talking style made him “well-suited” to keep up with G7 leaders, including Trump.
“He’s obviously an extremely knowledgeable person,” Carney said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron leave after remarks at the Palais de l’Elysee in Paris, Friday, June 12, 2026.
CANADIAN PLAYER / Christopher Katsarov
Sen. Peter Boehm, who represented prime ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau at six G7 summits, said Carney’s visit before the summit with Macron gives the two leaders an opportunity to plan strategies.
He also added that Carney is expected to show “pragmatic diplomacy” at the international event, given that his speech in Davos has attracted international attention.
In that speech at the World Economic Forum in January, Carney said the world has entered a dangerous new era of major energy conflicts and that Canada is working to expand non-US trade in the face of Trump’s trade war.
Boehm said the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains will be Macron’s tenth and last G7 summit as president. His second and final term will end in May 2027.
Macron said on Friday that he and Carney will also discuss how to protect children online, adding that the two countries share common goals.
Earlier this year, French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under the age of 15. The idea of setting a minimum age for the use of platforms has gained momentum across Europe.
The Liberal government introduced its own cyber security legislation this week. If passed, it would require social media companies to block access to children under 16, although platforms would be able to get an exemption if they put in place adequate safeguards.
Bill C-34, introduced Wednesday in the House of Commons, would also regulate companies that adopt AI chatbots by committing to act responsibly. That includes measures to reduce the risk of chatbots communicating harmful content and putting in place stricter intervention policies for cases involving self-harm, suicide or violence.
Macron applauded the move on social media on Thursday, saying, “Thank you for joining the movement.”
Looking ahead to the conference, Boehm said there are always things going on from previous years.
“Kananaskis discussions about artificial intelligence, for example, and the global economy will have an impact on Évian discussions,” he said.
A Canadian government official said this week there will be no final speech by leaders at the end of the summit.
They said the joint leaders will issue statements specific to the entire event.
Carney said on Friday that there will be problems when one of the G7 partners has more extreme views than the others.
“I’m not saying just one … each of us can have examples of that,” he said, noting the range of different AI approaches, for example.
He said he does not agree with the idea of ”G6 plus one,” adding that all G7 leaders want common solutions.
Boehm, however, said the decision to publish several announcements, rather than one, may have been Trump’s fault.
“I think that’s a very big factor, because what’s the point of trying to find a consensus when what you’re doing is watering down what you have and not being reliable,” he said, adding that individual statements could deal with the harm of the Internet, AI or various other global problems.
Boehm said the broader political situation will be discussed at the conference, as war continues in the Middle East and the world is still grappling with the Trump administration’s intervention in foreign aid.
Carney said on Friday that Canada is willing to help maintain the Strait of Hormuz once it is open.
He said he was hopeful that there would be progress in establishing a “conflict settlement.”
“Canada will look to do our part so that we can support a broader effort when the time presents itself,” Carney said, adding that the war in Lebanon needs to be part of a “comprehensive solution.”
France is Canada’s third largest market in the European Union and its fifth largest source of foreign investment.
