2 days ago
Chrétien offers advice to Carney on dealing with Trump as Canada prepares to host G7
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Asked if there was a certain anticipation about how Trump may act at the G7, Germany's ambassador to Canada Mattias Lüttenberg said that dialogue is key when tensions are high.
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'It's just so important to talk to each other and not just, as we say in Germany, pull up your eyebrows and crinkle your nose,' he said in an interview. 'We have to talk to one another. We have to find a common ground and work jointly for the interest of our security, of our economies and of our people.'
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Trump comes to Canada as both countries are reportedly actively exchanging draft deals to put an end to at least some of the U.S. tariffs implemented by the Americans this year and corresponding Canadian counter-tariffs.
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The tariffs that Trump imposed against key Canadian sectors, such as steel, aluminium and foreign autos, as well as baseline 10 per cent border levies against virtually every other country are certain to be top of mind throughout the two days of discussions.
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There is a stark contrast between the summit's key themes under Carney and those of the last Canadian G7 presidency in 2018 under Justin Trudeau.
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Seven years ago, leaders discussed topics such as gender equality and women's empowerment, climate change and clean energy, 'investing in growth that works for everyone' and global peace.
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Fast forward to this weekend and the topics sound a little more appealing to a former central bank governor, with no clear mention of gender, equality or climate change topics.
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'I would say that climate is actually integrated quite significantly in our agenda,' the Canadian senior government official countered to inquisitive reporters Thursday, arguing there was some continuity in topics such as artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
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'Critical minerals are essential to tackling climate change, given that they are required for the energy transition,' she noted. 'Clearly, climate change is one of the factors behind the increased incidence of wildfires.'
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On Thursday, Canadian officials warned that this summer is lining up to be the second worst wildfire season in Canadian history.
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Leaders from non-G7 countries will also be in attendance, namely the heads of Ukraine, Mexico, India, Australia, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil.
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As the host of the event, Carney is expected to have bilateral meetings with each other leader in attendance.
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Canada had invited the crown prince and de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, but he declined the invitation for unspecified reasons.
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The crown prince's refusal to attend may have been a relief for some Liberals though, as Canada has frequently criticized the country's spotty human rights record. Carney is also already contending with growing strife over his decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Sikh activists, organizations, community leaders, as well as some Liberal MPs, have been speaking out about Canada's decision to invite Modi in light of statements made by the RCMP that it has evidence showing India's government is involved in violent crimes in Canada.
