PM Carney heads to Europe for G7 summit amid global tensions
Prime Minister Mark Carney travels to Ireland and France this week for talks on geopolitics, trade and the challenge of managing relations with the U.S.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney is travelling to Europe this week for stops in Dublin and Paris before the G7 summit runs June 15–17 in Evian-les-Bains, France.
The summit's focus is reducing global inequality, but international affairs experts say the real discussions will centre on managing U.S. President Donald Trump's unpredictability. "The real discussions will be among the remaining G6 leaders when Trump isn't in the room, in terms of how you deal with a president who is irascible, unpredictable and making life difficult for everyone," said Fen Osler Hampson, an international affairs professor at Carleton University.
The official agenda includes support for Ukraine, online child protection, and global governance rules. Behind the scenes, experts expect debate over Middle East conflict, energy security, and U.S. tariffs.
Carney will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss defence, artificial intelligence, quantum tech, and critical minerals. In Ireland, he'll meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly — the first official visit by a Canadian PM to Ireland in nearly a decade. Trade between Canada and Ireland reached $6 billion in 2025, with Canada exporting cereals and importing pharmaceuticals. The visit signals Canada's interest in deepening ties with Ireland ahead of its European Union presidency in July.