(Ottawa) French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal arrived Wednesday evening in Ottawa for a two and a half day visit to Canada where he will meet his counterpart Justin Trudeau with the aim of “strengthening” cooperation between two “historic partners”, according to his services.
This first trip outside the European Union by the head of the French government is all the more anticipated since there has not been a French visit at this level to Canada since June 2018, when Emmanuel Macron visited Quebec for a G7 Summit and a working visit.
Gabriel Attal dines Wednesday evening with the Canadian Prime Minister on the theme of the Francophonie. France will host in October the 19e summit of the Francophonie at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts (north-east), and Mr. Trudeau could participate in this event.
Before these feasts, Gabriel Attal will have an interview with Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, who represents King Charles III, head of state of this parliamentary monarchy.
MM. Attal and Trudeau will have a more official meeting on Thursday, followed by a press conference, during which the fate of Ceta (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, AECG in French) will be discussed.
The French parliament threatens the ratification process of this free trade treaty between the European Union and Canada but the executive is supportive.
Gabriel Attal brings in his delegation representatives of sectors “direct beneficiaries of Ceta and mobilized to defend it”, according to Matignon.
The head of the French government then goes Thursday afternoon and until Friday to Quebec, a French-speaking province of Canada with which France maintains a “direct and privileged” relationship, where he will meet his counterpart François Legault and deliver a speech to the National Assembly of Quebec.
MM. Attal and Legault will chair the 21e of the Alternating Meetings of French and Quebec Prime Ministers (RAPM), the last edition of which dates back to March 2018 in France.
Five ministers will accompany Gabriel Attal: Eric Dupond-Moretti (Justice), Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education), Franck Riester (Foreign trade and Francophonie), Roland Lescure (Industry and energy), and Patricia Miralles (Veterans).