Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Ireland and France ahead of G7 summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Dublin and Paris before attending the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Evian‑les‑Bains, France, from June 15‑17. In Ireland he will meet President Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, hold a dinner at Dublin Castle and visit County Mayo, marking the first official Canada‑Ireland prime‑ministerial visit in nearly a decade.

The two‑day stop will focus on deepening cultural and trade ties and on advancing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which both governments aim to have fully ratified by 2026. Bilateral merchandise trade reached $6 billion in 2025, with Canadian exports of $1.1 billion led by cereals and imports of $4.9 billion dominated by pharmaceuticals.

Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to discuss cooperation in defence, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and critical minerals. The G7 agenda is expected to address the Ukraine conflict, Middle‑East tensions, energy security, U.S. tariffs and broader global inequalities, with analysts noting the need to “manage Trump” after the U.S. president’s remarks about a UFC fight delayed the summit’s opening.

Carney’s Irish heritage – his grandparents emigrated from County Mayo in the 1920s and he held Irish citizenship until March 2025 – underscores the symbolic importance of the trip as Ireland assumes the EU Council presidency in July.