France’s Macron visits Atlantic territory as EU embraces Canada
Macron is facing pressure over rising fuel prices and said he would like Canada to broaden its exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe rather than Asia.
President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon for talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday, weeks after President Donald Trump posted an image showing the islands covered by the US flag.
Macron’s visit to the archipelago off Canada’s Atlantic coast is the first there by a French president since 2014 and comes as Canada seeks closer ties with the European Union amid an increasingly acrimonious trade war with the United States.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is France’s only remaining territory in North America, and French officials said Macron’s trip would underscore French sovereignty and highlight close ties with Canada.
“There’s no doubt [it is French],” Macron said after landing in the territory of 5,800 inhabitants late on Saturday.
