Prime Minister Mark Carney has many international coverage points on his plate — and so they’re not all about U.S. President Donald Trump.
Listed here are six of the important thing challenges Ottawa might be navigating within the coming months throughout a turbulent time in world politics.
In simply six weeks, Carney will welcome his main counterparts to Kananaskis, Alta., for the Group of Seven leaders’ summit.
Trump is invited to attend, as are the leaders of France, Germany, Japan, the U.Okay. and Italy, in addition to the European Union. The summit sees G7 leaders take inventory of the world’s challenges and signal a communiqué that units the tone for different industrialized democracies.
When Canada final hosted a G7 summit in 2018, Trump refused to signal the closing communiqué, stormed off early and referred to as Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau “very dishonest and weak” in a spat over metal and aluminum tariffs.
Ottawa is making an attempt to maintain Washington engaged within the G7. It put ahead maritime safety as a shared concern for international locations sharing three oceans with Canada. Leaders on the summit are anticipated to debate “shadow fleets” — vessels smuggling sanctioned items — the current rash of sabotage assaults on undersea cables, unlawful fishing and biodiversity loss.
Canada should additionally determine which international locations and establishments it’s going to welcome as visitors; South Africa is internet hosting the G20 summit in November and could possibly be invited to Kananaskis. Carney already has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Defence offers with Europe
Carney is extensively anticipated to attend the annual summit of the NATO navy alliance, which begins June 24 within the Netherlands.
The assembly comes as Europeans accuse Trump of undermining the alliance by suggesting that the U.S. wouldn’t defend international locations that don’t meet defence spending targets.
Canada has by no means met the NATO defence spending guideline — 2 per cent of gross home product — for the reason that alliance agreed upon that objective in 2006.
The assembly additionally comes amid fears that Russia will purchase extra territory in Ukraine and invade different international locations like Latvia, the place Canadian troops are serving as a part of a mission aimed toward deterring Russian aggression.
The European Union is main an effort to spice up defence spending and navy industries in Europe, to make the continent much less reliant on the U.S. Carney has mentioned he needs to be a part of this mission, referred to as ReArm Europe. He additionally has referred to as Canada “essentially the most European of non-European international locations.”
Throughout the marketing campaign, Carney described China as “the largest safety menace to Canada,” citing Beijing’s tacit help for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, international interference and the Arctic.
China rejects all of those claims and says it needs to associate with Canada to face up in opposition to American “bullying.” Chinese language officers have urged the 2 international locations may rally different nations to stop Washington from undermining world guidelines.
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Beijing has imposed tariffs in retaliation for Canada following the U.S. in limiting Chinese language electrical automobiles and metal. These tariffs are principally hurting farmers in Western Canada and premiers within the area have pushed Ottawa to do extra to raise restrictions on canola and pork.
Nonetheless, China has displaced giant quantities of American oil with imports of Canadian crude, which hit a historic excessive in March. Whereas China is Canada’s second-largest buying and selling associate and says it might collaborate in areas like clear vitality, Carney has signalled warning.
“We wish to diversify with like-minded companions,” he mentioned in March. “The companions in Asia that share our values don’t embody China.”
In late 2022, the Liberals made India a spotlight of their Indo-Pacific technique, describing the nation as a democratic nation with sturdy commerce potential.
That all modified after the June 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Inside months, Trudeau accused India of involvement in Nijjar’s demise. Relations have been strained ever since, with the RCMP saying it has proof that New Delhi is behind quite a few crimes concentrating on Sikh-Canadians.
A 12 months in the past, India’s international minister declared Canada to be “our greatest downside” and in October 2023 pointed the finger on the Liberal authorities, arguing Canada is enabling a separatist motion that requires a Sikh homeland referred to as Khalistan to be carved out of India.
Carney mentioned in the course of the election marketing campaign he needs to pursue commerce with India, including it may play an outsized position in ending the commerce wars.
“There are strains on that relationship that we didn’t trigger, to be clear. However there’s a path ahead to handle these, with mutual respect,” he mentioned on April 26.
The federal government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lengthy been aligned with Canada’s Conservatives, although Modi was fast to congratulate Carney on his election win.
Canada and the U.Okay. have been working beneath a pared-down commerce settlement since Brexit and talks on a full settlement have been suspended, largely over Canada’s reluctance to open up its dairy sector and Britain’s distaste for hormone-treated beef.
Canada’s envoy to London Ralph Goodale instructed Politico lately that commerce talks are unlikely to advance if Britain doesn’t drop “unscientific” limits on beef or resolve the “Brexit screw-up” of failing to barter its personal cheese import quota for Canada when it left the European Union.
A recent strategy is perhaps coming this 12 months. Goodale mentioned in February he expects to get replaced this spring and Britain’s excessive commissioner in Ottawa began his time period three months in the past.
Ottawa has lengthy argued that Canadian companies haven’t taken benefit of commerce offers Canada has signed with international locations reminiscent of Chile and South Korea.
Promising to buck the pattern of Western international locations scaling again on international assist, Carney has vowed to not decrease Canada’s assist spending or growth funding.
That promise comes as refugee camps run out of meals assist and as United Nations companies ponder mass layoffs.
“This can be a time for Canada to steer … in guaranteeing that we play a job that Canada at all times has, which is to be beneficiant and to be efficient in our help of those that are most susceptible world wide,” Carney mentioned.
It’s not clear what Carney’s strategy to international assist may seem like. Trudeau’s authorities was criticized for releasing an Africa technique years late, with zero new funding for initiatives supposed to spice up funding and commerce with the booming continent.
Southeast Asian leaders, in the meantime, are questioning whether or not Carney will observe Trudeau’s instance by attending the annual summit of the ASEAN bloc, which declared Canada a strategic associate in 2023. The area has rising economies and an curiosity in Canadian commodities and nuclear vitality.
Carney is extensively anticipated to observe Trudeau’s strategy to the Israel-Hamas struggle, a coverage Jewish, Muslim and Arab teams have all extensively criticized as being imprecise. The struggle has led to giant protests in Canada and prompted an increase in hate crimes.
The prime minister lately joined friends in criticizing Israel for blocking assist to Palestinians in Gaza, which the United Nations describes as “merciless collective punishment.”
Carney mentioned in the course of the marketing campaign that Canada should name out Iran for destabilizing the Center East via proxies like Hamas.
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