Carney to attend G7 summit in France as Iran peace deal is ‘topic number 1’ – National

Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Evian-les-Bains in France for the G7 summit, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement had been reached to end the conflict in Iran.

Trump announced the deal Sunday, adding that he authorized an end to the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, but later said the strait wouldn’t open until Friday when the deal is officially signed.

On the tarmac Monday morning, Carney said he would have an opportunity at the G7 to see what Canada and other countries can do to help reinforce the progress.

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement they welcome the announcement of the deal between the U.S. and Iran.

“This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy,” says the statement released Monday.

The statement says it’s “vital” that detailed negotiations are concluded and that the agreement be implemented rapidly and comprehensively.

Leaders said they would support that effort.

They also said the urgent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz is essential, and they are committed to playing their part to achieve that, including through a “strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations.”

“Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon,” the statement says. “We stand ready to work with the U.S., Iran and the (International Atomic Energy Agency) to this end. We are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme.”

The leaders said they will work with the U.S., Iran and regional partners to “seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.”

“We also reaffirm our full support to the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the importance of a robust ceasefire,” they said.

Carney said in his own statement on social media that Canada has been clear that a durable ceasefire must ensure safe and unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz and address the “pervasive threat” of Iran’s nuclear program.

“As negotiations continue, we urge all parties to maintain good faith dialogue and refrain from escalation,” Carney said.

While in Ireland over the weekend, Carney told Irish news outlet RTE that the war in Iran was “topic number one” at the G7, adding that the war in Ukraine is also a key issue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to attend the summit.

On Monday, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Later, he will attend a working dinner on geopolitical and economic issues.

Trump is expected to attend this year’s summit, as are other G7 leaders, with the heads of Brazil, India, Kenya and South Korea set to participate.

While it’s unknown whether Carney will meet with Trump in Evian, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are set to connect on the summit’s sidelines.

French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the summit — his last as head of state — under the theme of economic imbalances.

Carney told reporters in Ireland that the standards, regulations and responsibility of artificial intelligence will also be part of discussions.

France has said there will not be a joint, overarching communique — a document that used to be issued at every summit but has been harder to produce amid growing geopolitical rifts. France says it will instead release a series of statements over the course of the summit.

Ahead of the summit, Carney said Sunday that the U.S. will play a role in a new world order in which no one institution or country will have all the answers.

“What one can’t do at this point in a rapidly shifting world order is to rely on one set of institutions, one grouping, one country to provide the answers,” he said during a visit to Ireland.

“You have to know what you want, what you need, how you serve your citizens, and then go out and get it.”

The prime minister said a day earlier the “strands” of a new world order could be woven at that upcoming summit.

Asked what role the U.S. could play in that new order, Carney said some countries will be on the same page on issues such as taking action on artificial intelligence and child safety.

“Canada, very much at the forefront, will take child safety seriously and feel that laissez-faire is not the answer to child safety. And so we will take steps. Not everyone around that table will,” he said.

“In some of those circumstances, the United States will be foursquare behind … but not all.”

Earlier this month, the Liberal government introduced an online harms bill that includes a plan to force social media companies to ban kids under 16 from their platforms. Bill C-34 would also regulate AI chatbots.

International support for age restrictions on social media has been mounting since Australia became the first country to introduce a ban, with countries including Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea introducing or considering similar measures.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer announced Monday that his government is also working to ban social media access for kids under 16.

“These days kids must find their feet in a world where technology intrudes into every area of their life,” Starmer said on social media. “I just can’t let that go on anymore. So we’re giving children their childhoods back.”

The Liberal government is also set to introduce a new privacy bill this week that it has said will include protections for children’s data. It’s also expected to include measures ensuring Canadians’ data is not used for surveillance pricing.

The G7 includes Canada, France, the United States, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy. The European Union also participates in talks, though the bloc isn’t counted in the group’s name.