By Canadian Press

Macron wants face-to-face meeting with Trudeau to talk security, China, climate

Oct 12, 2021 | 2:13 PM

OTTAWA — French President Emmanuel Macron wants face time with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – soon – and he hopes for more than passing chit chat on the margins of upcoming summits.

Kareen Rispal, France’s ambassador to Canada, tells The Canadian Press that in addition to unfinished business the two countries started before the COVID-19 pandemic, Macron wants to hear Trudeau’s views on the alliance formed last month between the United States, Britain and Australia.

The new AUKUS alliance angered Macron and was seen by France as a stab in the back from trusted allies.

Trudeau has shrugged off Canada’s exclusion, saying the alliance is about selling Australia nuclear submarines – something that doesn’t interest Canada.

Rispal says the pandemic has prevented any meaningful follow-up work on an agreement the two leaders signed three years ago to deepen co-operation on promoting democracy and gender equality, as well as fighting climate change.

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Macron visited Ottawa in June 2018 for a one-on-one with Trudeau before the G7 leaders’ summit in Charlevoix, Que., where the pair agreed to create a Franco-Canadian Council of Ministers that was supposed to meet every two years, but hasn’t due to the pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2021.

The Canadian Press