OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has landed in Paris, where he is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the G7 summit next week.

A government official briefing reporters before the trip framed the meeting as Canada passing the G7 presidency baton to France and said the leaders likely will discuss how to advance a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Sen. Peter Boehm, who served as personal representative for prime ministers Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau for six G7 summits, said Carney’s pre-summit visit with Macron offers an opportunity for the two leaders to strategize.

He added that Carney is expected to demonstrate “pragmatic diplomacy” at the international event, given how his recent Davos speech drew widespread international interest.

The bilateral meeting could be one of the last between the two leaders, since Macron’s second term in office is set to end in May 2027.

France is Canada’s third largest merchandise export market in the European Union and its fifth largest source of foreign investment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press