The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has claimed this Sunday the sovereignty of France over Saint Pierre and Miquelon during his visit to the archipelago, located off the Atlantic coast of Canada. The trip, the first by a French president since 2014, comes weeks after Donald Trump spread on social media a map in which the territory appeared covered by the flag of the United States.
“There is no doubt, it is French,” Macron stated after arriving in the territory, which has about 5,800 inhabitants. The French president added that it is not necessary to constantly reaffirm its belonging to France in response to what he called “strange ideas.”
A French territory off Canada
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is the only French territory that remains in North America. The archipelago is located a few kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland and has a strategic position due to its location in the North Atlantic, near the United States and the Arctic.
The map spread by Trump showed under the American flag Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, in addition to including Saint Pierre and Miquelon and several French territories in the Caribbean. France did not respond publicly at that time to the publication.
Macron and Carney strengthen cooperation
The visit includes a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, at a time of rapprochement between Canada and the European Union. Both leaders are expected to address energy issues and bilateral cooperation, as well as relations between Ottawa and Brussels.
Macron has pointed out France's interest in increasing imports of liquefied natural gas from Canada to Europe. The talks also come after the EU opened the door for Canada to become its first associated member.
The visit thus has a bilateral and strategic dimension, but also a symbolic component in a context of trade tensions between the United States and Canada and greater cooperation between Ottawa, Paris, and Brussels.